Chatroom A
by mysterywriter94
Summary: Ms. Martinez got tired of all the noise and gave everyone laptops to chat on. But the craziness has only just started there...rated T for precautions I own nothing but the plot! Fax story of course
1. Chapter 1

This is what happens when Ms. Martinez decides to give the flock and Ella computers to chat on during the day. However, they soon discover they aren't the only ones online. A funny oneshot by me.

**AaBbCc= chat activity and chat talk**

AaBbCc= things going on outside the chatroom

MaxRide= Max

SilentFeather= Fang

CaptianBlindTerror= Iggy and Gazzy

Woof= Total

valentine34= Angel

chatterbox17= Nudge

undergirl= Ella

SnoopDoggfan= Jebb

mexicanagurlz= Ms. Martinez

morphindude= Ari

**MaxRide has entered Chatroom A**

**SilentFeather has entered Chatroom A**

**MaxRide: hi**

**SilentFeather: hey there**

**MaxRide: arent we in the same room?**

**SilentFeather: umm yea why?**

**MaxRide: oh, no reason…just was letting u know that we probably could talk in person like normal people**

**SilentFeather: what do u know about normal? we aren't even human**

**MaxRide: good point**

**chatterbox17 has entered Chatroom A**

**chatterbox17: hey guys whats up i just got this account and all and i couldnt decide on a name so i was like hm what do i do and then total came in and suggested this and i was like wow so cool total thanks and then he left and now im here so whats up fang and max pretty day, huh?**

** MaxRide: oh nothing much we just got here...where r u anyways?**

** chatterbx17: im upstairs with ella she cant decide on a username**

**MaxRide: oh, u want me to help?**

** chatterbox: no she got it never mind**

** SilentFeather: she should be online soon. hey r u sure this is a private chatroom that were on max?**

** MaxRide: im preeettty sure it is otherwise mom wouldnt let us on**

** SilentFeather: oh right, right that makes sense**

Ding! Ding! Messages coming in everywhere. Ella sat at her computer, trying to block out Nudge's chattering. The blank next to _username_ was still, well, blank. She put her head in her hands and sighed._Come on, Ella, think_, she thought determindley. Just when she was about to give up, an idea came to her. She smiled and started to type. _Just you wait,_ she thought to herself with satisfaction. _I'll no longer be left out of anything with this chatroom in session._ She pressed SEND, and settled in for the thirty second wait it would take for Max, Fang, or Nudge to respond to her message.

**undergirl has logged onto Chatroom A**

** undergirl: Hi there Max, Fang, and Nudge. What did I miss? I hate being left out of anything, so I decided to join.**

** MaxRide: not to worry, you havent missed a thing. how r u sis?**

** undergirl: Fine, I guess. It's not easy being normal.**

** MaxRide: r u kidding me? id cut off my right wing to be normal like u**

** undergirl: Really? What's so bad about having wings?**

** MaxRide: the white coats, the cages, the tests...basically the forst ten years of my life will do more than answer ur question**

** undergirl: Oh...I didn't know about that. I'm sorry.**

** MaxRide: its okay. thanks to jebb we survived.**

** undergirl: He never told me anything about this.**

** MaxRide: he doesnt tell me anything either dont worry**

** chatterbox17: well this is nice and all, but i just heard that iggy and gasman r sharing an account so watch out**

** MaxRide: thx for the warning**

** SilentFeather: this should b interesting**

** undergirl: What's going on?**

**SilentFeather: when gazzy and iggy take control, u should watch out**

** undergirl: What's that supposed to mean?**

** SilentFeather: ull c…**

**CaptianBlindTerror has logged into Chatroom A**

**valentine34 has logged onto Chatroom A**

**CaptainBlindTerror: hey whats goin on, gazzy here to talk it up man**

** SilentFeather: hey, how r u and iggy gonna share one account?**

** CaptianBlindTerror: thats a secret, ull have to guess whos on when**

** MaxRide: sigh...cant u just get iggy an account?**

** CaptianBlindTerror: nope hes blind**

**undergirl: Iggy is BLIND!**

** MaxRide: he can see whiteness**

** undergirl: Hello? Still here!**

** CaptianBlindTerror: oh yea forgot i can do that yay i can type now...but ur mom wont let me get an account, so just deal with it**

** MaxRide: fine then**

**valentine34: hey total should be on soon while im away getting a snack brb**

** undergirl: Sigh….can someone talk to me please? I feel useless here.**

** valentine34: shhh..i have a secret account even angel doesnt know about :) im going to log on in a sec...hang on...shhahp messed up i tripped. ive got a labtop right here. ok angels coming back aaaah :O**

** MaxRide: howd u learn how to type total?**

** valentine34: shhhh...ill telll u later...**

** undergirl: I didn't know you can type. Then again, I never knew you could talk either. Or fly. Why am I the only normal one?**

** valentine34: er...being normal aint so bad either. u can teach the flock stuff i guess.**

** chatterbox17: cool total has an account too that is awesome now everybody can talk at once i wonder whats gonna happen next...**

**undergirl: Nudge calm down!**

** chatterbox17: oh right sorry forgot**

**CaptainBlindTerror: no u already got a turn iggy let me talk...okay sorry boutwajg;gjzjgjg stop it iggy gdghihfahafslah i sai;sgjagapadg;gd im aflalhsa telling mom slhfaldhladg**

** SilentFeather: lol im enjoying this**

** MaxRide: wanna make out later?**

** SilentFeather: what do u mean later? how bout now?**

** CaptainBlindTerror: finally! il let u talk in a sec let me say this first! okay guys...im just gonna let u know that um...theres a bomb in the room. no waaait! settle down max i can hear u from here! its not set to go off yet, but fang, i want you to move a tad to ur right. ok, good. that will be all. iggy, u can take over now.**

** undergirl: There's a bomb! You guys are insane, you know that?**

Fang shifted his posistion to the floor, and that's when he saw it. The bomb. It was small, and looked harmless, but he knew better than to touch it. Max yawned and stretched her arms. There was no way they had been chatting for an hour straight already. Angel was in a nearby room with Total, and he heard him complain that they keys on his labtop were too small for his paws. Angel said something about overreacting. Silence. Fang's favorite sound. It spoke of everything, and of nothing. He closed his eyes and smiled, relishing in the moment's peace he had been blessed with. Something smashed upstairs, and his eyes snapped open again.

"I told you I should have gotten my own account!" Iggy shouted, flying down the stairs after Gasman.

"I said I was sorry! I didn't mean to tell Mom we were planning to share it. I forgot that-"

"Oh, right, you forgot I was only partway blind. Gee thanks," Iggy hissed sarcastically. Fang could almost hear and feel his eyes roll. Years of almost total silence makes one a better listener than anybody. Except for Iggy, who had the best hearing in the whole flock. Fang decided it was time to interfere their argument.

"Guys, cool it. What did you break this time?"

"Just a lamp," Gazzy said.

"Mom's gonna kill you two and suspend your accounts," Fang warned. It was Gazzy who rolled his eyes this time.

"We got it covered, Fnick. No worries," Iggy promised. He ran back upstairs. Fang sighed and turned back to his labtop. It didn't look like he missed anything. Nudge had been blabbering on and on about something, and Ella hasn't said a word. Max had fallen asleep at her computer. Fang watched her for a bit. She wasn't completely asleep, because he could tell that she wasn't dreaming yet. Ding! A new message. Max woke up with a start. Fang started typing. The adventure would continue...

** chatterbox17: soo i heard this cool joke from a tv show i used to watch u wanna hear it max?**

** MaxRide: ive heard the joke 18 times nudge! tell it to somebody else later when im not online. ur message woke me btw. i had a late night last night and im tired.**

** chatterbox17: oops sorry. hey im getting tired of being inside. wanna go out for a fly?**

** MaxRide: we should all get out. tell angel to...oh great**

**Woof has logged on to Chatroom A**

** Woof: hey guys i FINALLY got this thing to work properly after angel said this WASNT a touchscreen computer. then there was the username issue. i decided that being creative wasnt my forte.**

** MaxRide: hi total. we were just gonna go out for a flight, wanna come? we really need to get outdoors before mom regrets spending this much money on us in one day.**

** Woof: fine...i guess ill come. hey have u heard the Voice lately?**

** MaxRide: actually...no. its been pretty quiet lately.**

** Woof: huh. strange. well, ill meet u out there.**

**Woof has logged off of Chatroom A**

**MaxRide has logged off of Chatroom A**

**SilentFeather has logged off of Chatroom A**

**undergirl has logged off of Chatroom A**

** chatterbox17: whered everyone go? i never got to tell my joke to ella! :'(**

** CaptianBlindTerror: nudge u told everyone that joke at least a million times. get over it.**

** chatterbox17: oh. wanna go play hide and seek?**

** CaptianBlindaTerror: actually iggy and i r going out with max and the others for a bit. wanna come?**

**chatterbox17: Sure!**

**CaptainBlindTerror has logged off of Chatroom A**

**chatterbox17 has logged off of Chatroom A**

**valentine34 has logged off of Chatroom A**

Ella shut off her computer and flopped onto her bed. It was so unfair. Even online she gets forgotten. She's only second best, a human girl. Ella sobbed into her favorite pillow, wishing that she had wings just like Max. Memories flooded through her of that time when she and her mom took care of an injured Max. She wasn't ignored then. They laughed and talked about normal things. Ella wished that she were back in that happy time, when Max was as normal as she was. There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Ella said in a muffled voice. The door opened, and there stood Max.

"Ella, don't you want to come?" she asked. " We're playing freeze tag, but we don't know the rules. Can you teach us how to play?" Ella smiled, and realized that being normal was what she was best at. She could teach them how to be perfectly average kids like her.

"Of course," she smiled warmly now and followed her outside.

"Hey what was all that earlier? I heard you crying," Max said without turning around. They now stood at the foot of the stairs. Ella grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. Max turned around in surprise.

"You guys leave me out of everything. You, Fang, Angel...everyone. You all just fly around and be yourselves and expect me to be okay with that. I was hoping this IMing thing would change that but it didn't change a thing. I feel too normal with the flock around. At least give me a chance to spread _my_ wings." She pulled out a vial of avain DNA out of her pocket and showed it to Max. "Jebb promised that he fixed the painful part of growing the wings and all the other stuff that comes with being like you," she continued as Max stared at the vial. She said nothing. "What's wrong? You don't want me to fly up in the air with you?" Max recovered, and shook her head.

"No, it's not that...its just, do you really want this? You can't be human ever again." Ella bit her lip, trying to decide. On one hand...she could stay human and remain confused about Max's life, pretending to understand the jokes they make, forced to stay on the ground and walk on the ground and only observe the flight of a bird and not experience it like the flock and Total the dog. Even the dog had wings for crying out loud! Contrarily...she could become part bird, have superpowers, and become closer to Max than ever. But would she belong then? She scarcely knew the flock as a whole, the things they normally talk about and ways they comfort one another. Ella would be as confused as a fish out of water. What should she choose? Bird, or human? She bit her lip harder, deep in thought now. Through the chatroom, she could...maybe spy on them and find out their real personalities. How would she do that? There was only one person to call for that...Ella took out her cellphone and dialed a number she knew by heart.

"Hello?" A deep, male voice answered.

"Jebb, can you tell me about computers? It's for a school project. I wanted to get information on hacking a chatroom."


	2. Chapter 2

Jebb sighed and gazed at the computer screen. He knew that Ella wasn't hacking into a chat room for a school project. _What could she be up to, then?_ he wondered. Ding!

**mexicanagurlz has logged on to Chat room B**

mexicanagurlz: Ella, is your father online?

undergirl: Not yet. Why?

mexicanagurlz: I wanted to talk to him, but I'm at work right now and the phone lines are blocked up to next Tuesday practically.

undergirl: Oh. I see.

**SnoopDoggfan has logged on to Chat room B**

mexicanagurlz: Oh good honey, you're here. Ella, could you see if Max and the others are hungry? I need to make a trip to the store on my way home.

undergirl: Okay.

**undergirl has logged off of Chat room B**

SnoopDoggfan: You don't need to lie to her.

mexicanagurlz: I know. I'm really worried about her, though. She seems so left out of the group.

SnoopDoggfan: I'm well aware of that. She and I had a talk about this. And I gave her a sample of avain DNA just in case she is desperate enough to ''belong'' as she insists.

mexicanagurlz: Whaaat! You did this after I told you not to?

SnoopDoggfan: You just said not to test her at the School. You said nothing about avian genes, as I recall.

mexicanagurlz: Whatever she decides, you know it will be permanent.

SnoopDoggfan: Yes I know. I hope she chooses what she wants and not what she thinks she wants.

mexicanagurlz: But which is which?

SnoopDoggfan: I'm letting her figure that out on her own.

**SnoopDoggfan has logged off of Chat room B**

**mexicanagurlz has logged off of Chat room B**

Max gleefully tagged Gazzy on the shoulder ten feet up in the air. He dived down to the ground, frozen. He remained hunched up in the weeds, waiting to be unfrozen.

"Ha! I got you Gasman!" she shouted. Her stomach rumbled as she landed softly in the grass. Ella came back outside after a trip to the bathroom.

"Hey Ella we're hungry, is there anything left to eat?"

"No, but Mom is at the store I think so the wait shouldn't be too long," she said.

"Are you really going to take that stuff?" Max said in an undertone.

"I don't know yet," Ella replied. She was getting sick and tired of being asked that question. The vial of avian DNA was safely tucked away in her pocket for safe keeping. Iggy soared past Ella, forcing her to duck in surprise.

"Bet you can't catch a blind guy, Max!" he challenged. Off to the side, Angel and Total were chatting on their laptops. They were being very quiet, so Ella decided not to bother them.

"Hey, do you want to go inside and IM some more?" she asked Max.

"Sure," Max replied, shrugging her shoulders. "IGGY, GAZZY, ANGEL, TOTAL, FANG, COME HERE!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Within a minute the whole flock was standing in a straight line, oldest to youngest. Their obedience to Max intrigued Ella, and she decided to ask about it at last.

"So, why do they decide to listen to you, and not someone like one of those white coats?"

"Because I know how to survive," she said grimly, leading the flock inside. Total jumped into Angel's arms.

"Don't forget the laptops, Angel," he reminded her. Iggy ran out of his place in line to grab them. Total directed him to them as he felt his way through the grass. Laptops in hand, he made his way inside. Ella ran up to her room to get her own laptop. Nudge was already upstairs with hers, logging in. Ella smiled and turned her computer on.

MaxRide: she shuld b showin up any sec now, guys

CaptainBlindTerror: watev

**undergirl has logged on to Chat room A**

undergirl: Hey there, Mom should be home soon, so don't get too comfortable.

chatterbox17: ooh cool did she bring pizza? i want pinnaple and sausage and pepproni and anchovies and i also want a million slices please and thank you

undergirl: Um…okay. She's bringing home enchiladas.

chatterbox17: yaaaaay i luuuv enchaladaz!

valentine34: yes total u r logged on.

Woof: Finally! I found grammar and spell check in case anyone wants to use it. Especially you, Max. Your spelling is almost as good as a third grader who has never picked up a book before.

MaxRide: thx but no thx. i like typing like this

Woof: Suit yourself.

SilentFeather: whens the excitement going to start? im bored here in the living room all alone.

MaxRide: ur with me fang

**morphindude has logged on to Chatroom A**

MaxRide: who the h**** r u?

morphindude: hi max

SilentFeather: may I be the first to say…what the heck?

undergirl: You can say that again.

chatterbox17: im cunfuzzled.

morphindude: jebb can really perform miriacals. he fixed my expiration date after I died, and now he can fix urs too max. hes going to save the flock today. he'll put the solution in ur dinner. it will taste funny but its not poison trust me.

MaxRide: who r u?

morphindude: ur brother

MaxRide: ari? I thought u were dead. :O

chatterbox17: woah didn't see that comin

Woof: *starts eating popcorn*

CaptainBlindTerror: isn't it ur turn to type iggy? oh sorry it is! didn't fang accidently set off that bomb? i hear beeping downstairs

SilentFeather: GET RID OF THE BOMB IGGY! OH MY GOD ITS GONNA BLOW MAN!

MaxRide: i got it calm down fang

undergirl: Holy jeez that was close! Where is it now?

BOOOM! The bomb exploded outside the house.

CaptainBlindTerror: uh oh. that was jebb's car.

MaxRide: oh crap

undergirl: Don't worry! Only his car door blew off. You can fix that before Mom gets home, right Iggy? Gazzy?

CaptainBlindTerror: yep, gasmans on it now. we just need industrial glue and were good.

undergirl: There should be some in the garage.

CaptainBlindTerror: ill tell the gasman

chatterbox17: soo ari how r u whats it like being dead

morphindude: sorta like sleepin not very exciting, what was all that about?

MaxRide: nothing really the usual

morphindude: i c

valentine34: omg stop it total ur so annoying. get rid of the popcorn.

Woof: Fine. Be that way.

morphindude: when did ur dog learn to type?

SilentFeather: waaay back in ny we found out he was a mutant dog. later on we learned that he could talk then he grew wings. u know…kind of unusual but not surprising.

SnoopDoggfan: Your mother is home. Nice work on the car.

CaptianBlindTerror: thanks jebb

MaxRide: woah when did u come online?

SnoopDoggfan: I've been on since you came inside

MaxRide: creep

chatterbox17: hey jebb wanna hear a joke

SnoopDoggfan: Not now I'm working on something. Ella, have you decided yet?

undergirl: Ugh! Quit asking me or I'll destroy your DNA! L

chatterbox17: I luv smileys J J J

SilentFeather: u really need a hobby jebb

SnoopDoggfan: Oh shoot you mother's home gotta go!

**SnoopDoggfan has logged off of Chat room A**

**undergirl has logged off of Chat room A**

Ella took out the vial again and examined it. Surely it wouldn't hurt to become Bird Girl, would it? She opened the vial and raised it to her mouth…

MaxRide: hey ellas offline! I wonder if shes okay. im going to check on her

SilentFeather: no reason to worry max

MaxRide your right

CaptainBlindTerror: ur turn to type gasman

CaptainBlindTerror: hey gazzy here sorry bout the bomb we should've moved it

valentine34: sooo ari where r u anyways

morphindude: ur roof

Woof: Of all the places…

chatterbox17: total can I have ur popcorn

Woof: No! It's mine! Plus it's almost gone.

chatterbox17: aw man I wanted butter on it and salt and all that good stuff like at the movie theater

The door opened just then, startling Max and Fang, who were making out on the couch. They sung apart as Ms. Martinez came inside, exhausted from a long day. Ella had not come out of her room since she had started chatting earlier that afternoon. Ms. Martinez sighed and started to cook dinner. She didn't have the energy to lecture her children for being on the computer too long today.

Meanwhile, Ella was experiencing strange sensations all through her body. The vial fell out of her hand and she collapsed on her bed with complete exhaustion. In moments, she was fast asleep.

morphindude: im afraid to come in the house, though angel…please tell ur mom im not dangerous

valentine34: sure thing, but her mind seems tired now its not a good time

morphindude: oh right

MaxRide: fang im bored

SilentFeather: want to kiss again?

MaxRide: not when moms home

SilentFeather: she hasn't said a word about us being on the computers all day so I don't think shed mind if we kiss for while

MaxRide: not now, okay don't let ur horomones control u

chatterbox17: ooh im looking that word up how do u spell it

MaxRide: NUDGE!

chatterbox17: what?

MaxRide: never mind

Woof: horomones…lol if only u knew nudge

valentine34: i can read ur mind u know total

Woof: crap

**Woof has logged off of Chat room A**

"Dinner's ready!" Ms. Martinez called. Three plates full of enchiladas lay steaming on the table. Max and Fang came in the dining room first, holding hands. Then Gasman and Iggy thundered down the stairs to get a good place at the table. Angel lightly flew downstairs a few minutes later, followed by Total. Last, but not least, came Nudge. Ms. Martinez waited for her daughter. Nobody else came out.

"Ella? Dinner is ready," she called out. No answer. She went up the stairs and into Ella's room. On the bed was her sleeping daughter, and on the floor was a vial of avian DNA. Ms. Martinez gasped, her hands flew to her mouth, and the color drained out of her face. "Ella? Ella!" She fainted onto the floor.


	3. Chapter 3

**If I owned MR, that would be the coolest thing ever!**

**Max's POV**

"Looks like the others are distracted," Fang commented. He turned to me, his dark eyes blazing into mine. I tried to maintain my cool confidence, but I just couldn't help myself. My heart felt like it had taken off like the helicopter that had kidnapped Angel a thousand lifetimes ago. Another ten seconds like this, his mouth slammed into mine and sparks flew. I just stopped thinking, and…acted. He took the lead, guiding me up the stairs, and all the while our lips kept contact. My lungs begged for air, but I didn't even question whether I should end the kiss. A million ages later, it was Fang who finally broke away from me.

"I…was wondering…if you wanted…to share a…room," he panted. I leaned casually against the wall, waiting for him to catch his breath. Images of Iggy's porn magazines flashed through my mind. I shuddered and pushed the picture out of my head.

"Well, I don't know…" I hesitated. At that moment, Mom came out of the room in a daze. She looked lost in thought as she descended to the dining room. I decided not to bother her. Whatever problems she and Ella were having, they weren't my business. I shrugged and leaned toward Fang for another kiss. Behind me, a computer turned on, but I paid no attention.

**undergirl has logged on to Chatroom A**

undergirl: Tell Max to log on, Angel…I need her help

valentine34: um..i don't think shes available at the moment.

undergirl: Do I want to know? 

valentine34: not really…

undergirl: Sigh, just tell me

valentine34: okay…

undergirl: You're right, I didn't want to know. I'll just deal with it on my own.

valentine34: ok then

**valentine34 has logged off of Chatroom A**

**undergirl has logged off of Chatroom A**

**Ella's POV**

**A/N: yes, I know the third person/ first person switch tends to be confusing, I'll try to notify when the switches are made to clear up some of the confusion out there**

Jeb did say it wouldn't hurt, right? _Why_, then, why does my back feel like it's on fire and covered in boiling acid? My insides are squirming and sliding around in such unpleasant ways that the nausea became too much and I bolted to the bathroom. When my stomach was empty, I remained crouched on the bathroom floor, trying to identify each new sensation as it came. There was a loud knock on the door. My mother's voice hesitantly addressed me through the oak patterns.

"Ella? Are you all right? Have the enchiladas gone bad?" She knocked again and the doorknob jiggled slightly. The lock slowly turned…

"Yeah I'm fine, I think," I called. The doorknob stopped wiggling about and lay still at the sound of my voice. My answer was far from the truth. I was nowhere near okay. My skin felt clammy, I shuddered and wiped my forehead.

"Are you sure? Ella, don't downplay anything here, even though I'm caring for more children now," Her voice sounded sad, almost regretful, and my heart sliced in two from the guilt of lying to her. I decided to tell part of the truth, to keep her from worrying too much.

"I'm a little sick, I'm going to lay down for a bit," I said. I stood up, flushed the toilet, and went to open the door. Then I realized I needed a breath mint. I searched my pocket and found a pack of Mentos. I quickly chewed and swallowed several before leaving the bathroom. My mom had left the hallway, but Max and Fang were still there, groping each other. Fang brought her closer to him, if that were possible, for a better angle to kiss her. She moaned in pleasure, and suddenly I felt…odd, abandoned, and…alone. I passed them and went into my room. I crawled into bed and went to sleep, wanting this day to end.

**Angel, 3****rd**** person**

Angel felt a mental wave of sadness from Ella, an ache to be loved too, and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She wiped her eyes in shock. Nudge was sitting across from her on the floor, her eyes glued to the shirtless men in the music video. She looked occupied, and was quiet for once. Angel decided to leave it that way. She searched Iggy's mind for any hints of attraction towards Ella, but his thoughts were focused on the pretzel and marshmallow bomb Gasman was constructing. She sighed and invaded Gazzy's head, and found much of the same thing. _Boys, they are all the same_, she thought as she climbed the stairs and went into Ella's room. There she found her, fast asleep on her bed. Leftover tears streaked down her face. Angel returned to the living room to watch more TV. She didn't want to waste all of her time with a romance issue, when she herself scarcely understood it. She changed the channel. After another half an hour, she got tired of watching SpongeBob and decided to go to bed. Nobody noticed her get up and leave, so they must all be occupied. _Especially Nudge, _she thought, thinking about her face gaping at the screen.

**Ms. Martinez, 3****rd**** person**

"Jeb, you need to be out with the kids more and spend time with them. You've been locked up in this room for three days straight. Don't you want to get out in the sunshine a little?" Jeb grunted an assent and closed his laptop. He stood up and stretched. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in annoyance, a clear resemblance to Max in that moment.

"I'm sorry. My job tends to be demanding these days," he apologized. "I should probably keep an eye on the kids better while you're gone on your trip next week." Ms. Martinez nodded, satisfied. She could see the truth in his eyes. What more could she ask for? She finished packing her suitcase and left without saying goodbye to Max, Ella, and the other children. Most of them were asleep anyway, and she didn't want to wake them up. She'll log into a chat room as soon as she got on a plane.

**Nudge's POV**

"Ohmigosh! Iggy, did you SEE that?" I squealed, pointing at the screen. He was reading one of his Braille books, and didn't look up to answer me.

**A/N: If you don't know what Braille is, you are either living under a rock or retarded. No offense, but there's a reason why Google exists!**

"Nudge, I'm _blind_," he huffed, annoyed. At that moment, Jeb came out into the living room. Mom had just left in a hurry to go…somewhere. It looked like he was in charge now. A phone rang in his pocket, and he answered it.

"Hello? Oh, right Mr. Chu but-yes, I know it's important! I have children to care for-no its not…even if they were, they would be too protected and hidden for you to be in reach of them….all right, I'll pack up my things. I'm looking forward to the raise, Mr. Chu," He hung up. I chose this moment to ask the questions that were bursting to be said.

"Where are you going Jeb? Does Mom know about this? Will she let you leave? Are you sure you know where you're going? Can I come? Why are you working for Mr. Chu? Who is he? Is he a bad guy? Is he with Itex? Are we coming with you? Oh Mom will be mad if she finds out you're-" Iggy put his hand over my mouth to shut me up.

"I'm sorry Nudge, but Mr. Chu told me not to tell you anything so you wouldn't ask questions. I'll notify Max about this," he said. After a moment's silence, Iggy uncovered my mouth so I could talk again. Jeb went to go pack. Iggy returned to his book. I changed the channel to PBS Kids. Sesame Street was on, and I groaned through every pointless adventure Elmo went on with Big Bird and his other friends. After ten minutes of this torture, Jeb came out with his suitcase and left without another word. The door slammed behind him. That was when I noticed how late it was getting. I went to my room to get ready for bed. I had the only bedroom downstairs besides Dr. M and Jeb. It left me alone a lot more than the others. That is, when I was actually in my room. I brushed my teeth and put my toothbrush away in the medicine cabinet. Then I sat on my bed and searched through the songs on my Ipod for the song that would help me fall asleep the fastest. I chose "Fireflies" by Owl City. As the first few bars played, I let my mind slowly drift into unconsciousness…

**Gazzy's POV**

"Ig, is the wire ready?" I called. In a moment, he appeared with the red wire. He seemed…distracted.

"Hey man, what do you about Ella?" he inquired. I shot him a "do-you-think-you're-insane?" look before I remembered myself and answered.

"Dude, she's just some girl forget her," I said, taking the wire from him. At this hour, I didn't care what he thought about girls, how they looked, or in his case, what they felt and sounded like.

"What does she think of me?" he asked. I sighed and connected the wire to the pretzel so I'd have my hands free.

"Look, I don't have the slightest clue what she thinks of you. After all, you're blind, so you can't see her reaction when she sees you," I explained. His face fell with disappointment, and I watched in annoyance as his shoulders slumped, and his eyes remained at the floor.

"Right…" he muttered, I'm going to bed. You finish hat yourself," He went upstairs. I rolled my eyes, connected the other end of the wire to the marshmallow and went up to Angel's room. We both shared a bedroom, being the youngest in the flock. Max slept wherever she wanted, Fang usually took the couch in the living room. Iggy had his own room next to Ella's. Her bedroom was across from the bathroom, a convenience for the girls. The other bathroom was downstairs in Nudge's room, which was rarely used. At the end of the upstairs hallway on the left was a guestroom, and across from that was the room I shared with Angel. There were two more bedrooms for Max and Fang, but they must hate sleeping in beds or something the way they avoid those places. I finished constructing the bomb, left the dining room, and went to bed. _Tomorrow's going to be exciting_, I thought, thinking of the numerous things I could explode with the device.


	4. Chapter 4

**Iggy, 3rd person**

All through the night, Iggy tossed and turned in his bed. The hours slowly ticked by. He couldn't get Ella off of his mind. The sound of her laughter, her touch, the smell of her perfume...Iggy sighed and stared up at the ceiling he couldn't see. Sometimes when he was in this state, he could almost see the colors and shapes around him, alomst like his sight was coming back. But then it would all be gone, and he was back to his colorless, shapeless world. He rolled over and tried to sleep again. The walls were thin, so he knew when Ella got out of bed and padded her way to the bathroom. He winced at the sound of vomiting. He listened to the quiet sound of her feet shuffling back to her roomm a sound only he had the ability to hear. No, he wasn't crazy. He jsut happened to have super hearing. He sighed again and got out of bed, giving up on sleep.

**Fang, 3rd person**

**SilentFeather has logged on to Chatroom A**

**MaxRide has logged on to Chatroom A**

MaxRide: it looks like were alone now

SilentFeather: yep

MaxRide: where r u?

SilentFeather: usual spot, come here

MaxRide: look behind u

SilentFeather: oh

MaxRide: haha ur funny

SilentFeather: watev

MaxRide: did u hear that earlier?

SilentFeather: yea,, whats up with ella?

MaxRide: idk should we talk?

SilentFeather: um i thik shes asleep

MaxRide: no, her light is on. i c it.

SilentFeather: um ok well go then if u want

MaxRide: r u sure

SilentFeather: it was ur idea...

MaxRide: sigh...okay

**MaxRide has logged off of Chatroom A**

**SilentFeather has logged off of Chatroom A**

Fang patiently waited for Max to return. _This shouldn't take long_, he thought. He could hear the conversation upstairs, but not quite that clearly. He leaned back on the couch, taking up most of the room it had to offer. Five minutes passed. Ten, then fifteen. Suddenly, he heard Max shout:

"WHAAAAT!" Fang bolted up the stairs and burst into the room. There, he saw a pair of wings protruding out of Ella's back. Her shirt lay in tattered pieces on the floor. Fang felt his jaw drop. He was speechless, not out of the ordinary for him. But this time, whatever words came to his mind, they lost their way from his brain to his mouth.

"Ah," he choked. This is not possible, is it? Ella is human! Max acted quickly; she grabbed a knife and cut slits in the back a new shirt for Ella and handed it to her. He coughed and looked away. Sexist pig he may be, but there were limits. This was Max's _sister_. Besides, she would kill him if he watched her change. Not that he cared about that, he just didn't want her to have that on her conscience for the rest of her life. He sighed and looked back over to the girls; the shirt fitted Ella nicely. She turned around, and he noticed on the front it said WINGED ANGEL in a neat cursive scrawl. He almost had to, well, not laugh. He wasn't one to expose his feelings, except when he was kissing Max.

"What do you think, Max?" Ella asked her. Nobody had taken notice to him. Fang randomly wondered if he was camouflaged again. Max shrugged.

"It suits you," she said, which about summed it up. Other than the wings, Ella looked the same as always. A little paler, and tired, but she still looked as if she could be human. I suddenly felt exhausted and mumbled a goodnight to them and collapsed onto the couch, sleep finding me instantly.

**Angel's POV**

**morphindude has logged on to Chatroom A**

valentine34: hi what r u doing here again?

morphindude: im on ur roof recovering from a battle against ppl from the school

valentine34: i see…

morphindude: yep I broke my leg it hurts like heck

valentine34: im sorry bout that but im busy with total I cant help u now

morphindude: but I have information

valentine34: okay..i know, i can read ur mind!

morphindude: creep

valentine34: I can also do so much more than that

morphindude: now im scared

valentine34: yea i can control your mind, call upon the creatures of the ocean, breathe underwater...im incredibly powerful. don't underestimate me.

morphindude: but your only a kid! how much power do you need?

valentine34: enough to make max's leadership obsolete. just u wait. her power will be mine. not a threat. a promise.

morphindude: what else can u do?

valentine34: well i can go really deep underwater, but that's just part of the gills power thing. there's mind reading…yep i think that's it for now.

morphindude: you are very scary

valentine34: i know

**morphindude has logged off of Chatroom A**

**valentine34 has logged off of Chatroom A**

I absently pet Total, mulling over the plan I had concocted to take over the flock. My mind control was very basic and bossy Max only let me use it when it was "necessary", or in other words, when it only let her have the upper hand. The first time I used this power, I was surprised at the ability. I had never even considered thwarting Max until the moment I saw her disapproving face. The look that says "you shouldn't do that". At that moment, all I saw was red. I was not only mad, but furious. From that day on, I promised that I could show Max that I knew best. I was the smartest, most powerful, most controlling…I could rule with an iron fist. Nobody would dare question me, or have the will too. I'd make them want to listen to me. If only she'd let me grow in power, I would already have the flock guided where I want them to go. There are more dangerous things than the School, than Itex, and even global warming, a danger that keeps growing every day. I can sense it better than any of them. It has thoughts and reasoning, just like any human being or animal. I can't access its thoughts. If I didn't know better, I would think the thoughts were coming from _inside_ me. That couldn't be possible, since it's illogical for the human mind to subconsciously hide thoughts from the conscious mind…unless something was controlling it. I jumped a little at the sound of Max's shout. Total tumbled out of my lap to the floor.

"What's on your mind, mind reader?" Total chortled at his joke. He stopped when he saw the look I was giving him. I rolled my eyes. It would be too easy to lie to this fur face. Everyone is so convinced I love Total the talking fur ball, but in fact, I could care less about him. I'm waiting for the perfect moment to have him on my side, the winning side on the fight against Max's leadership. Now, all I had to do was find a way to convince the others that Max was a no good leader…without mind control. I would use it as a last resort.

**Max's POV**

The next morning, I went out to teach Ella to fly. As I coached and encouraged her not to give up, I could feel some one watching me. I occasionally did a 360 to check my surroundings. There was nothing there that pair of eyes in the bushes that disturbed me. When I looked for what felt like the millionth time, they blinked, never leaving my face. There was something odd about those eyes, now that I thought of it. The familiarity of them tugged painfully at my memory. Could it be…?

"Max! Max, I'm flying!" Ella shouted, calling me to her attention. I flew back over to the roof and landed softly on the shingles. I looked ten feet above me to find Ella happily flying in circles, giving me the thumbs up. I grinned up at her, and then looked back at the bush. Nothing was there. Maybe I was imagining things. I shrugged and joined her in the sky, using one of my famous up-and-away takeoffs. Ella's new silver wings caught the sunlight and reflected it, making it look like they were shining. I laughed and tapped her on the shoulder. Just as she turned around to look at me, I dropped two feet so she couldn't see me. The alarmed expression on her face was so funny that I burst into hysterics.

_Glad to see you're having fun, Max_ the Voice cut in. Now it was my turn to be surprised. I stopped in mid-flap. Literally. Never before have I actually stopped like that. I landed on the roof, not so lightly this time. Ella was alerted to my sudden landing, but I paid no attention to her.

_What the heck, Voice? _I demanded, striding away from Ella's concerned face.

_I decided to give you a small break. Now it's time to get time to get down to business._

_Elaborate, please. And no more riddles!_

_Angel is not what she appears. Keep an eye on her, _the Voice instructed. I sighed, annoyed.

_Like I haven't already?_ I thought.

_You aren't watching closely enough. She is plotting something. Angel wants to-_

_I haven't got time for this nonsense!_ I screamed in my head. I could feel the Voice sort of…pause, like it was taken aback by my harsh tone.

_Max, _the Voice stressed, _this is urgent. Enough games. If you don't act soon, the whole flock will be affected._ I rolled my eyes, but had no choice except to agree with it.

"Max?" Ella queried. I held up a hand, the universal sign to wait. She stopped behind me.

_What do you mean the whole flock will be affected?_ I asked mentally, suspicious of what Angel was planning. Seriously, everything that seven year old is doing these day might as well call for another step toward "evil", despite her sweet, smiling face, those big and innocent eyes, and her loyal dog too. I ground my teeth in frustration, trying to put the pieces together. When we had worked together way back when at the School, Angel sounded like she had meant it when she wanted to take over the flock. My flock. The kids _I_ cared for, loved, and nurtured when Jebb was in no position to do so. The injuries _I_ fixed when they happened. The tears _I_ wiped away on stormy nights. The faces _I_ saw in dreams, the kids _I_ would do anything for. Even Angel. Though she may have changed drastically over the past few months, and few weeks even, I still didn't want anything to happen to her. The Voice did something I thought it would never do: comfort me.

_It's okay. I will still be here even when they're not._ There was something about its tone of voice which sounded familiar. Too familiar. But it's just not possible. He died. Twice. I shook my head, refusing to believe what lay right in front of my face. A leftover tear fell down my cheek and splashed onto my shirt.

_Ari?_ I thought hesitantly, wondering if I was getting this right. Ella tried to get my attention again.

"Max, you've been quiet for awhile now," she said, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, just the Voice being talkative again," I responded, concentrating.

_That's right keep your eyes on the prize, _the Voice approved, still avoiding my question. I felt another pair of eyes on me besides Ella's. I whirled around to check the bush again. Of course, it was empty.

"Oh Max, you're crying!" Ella cried out, running to hug me. I let her wrap her arms around me in comfort. She finally let go and looked at me. "Tell me what's wrong," she said to me. I stared at her blankly, trying to remember what I had been upset about. _The flock__,_ I thought suddenly, remembering.

"I…" I hesitated. At that moment, Mom decided to come home. I watched as her car pulled into the driveway. She got out, thankfully did not see us up here, and went inside. I jumped off the roof and flew through the window that led to Ella's room. She followed suit behind me. I relaxed casually on her bed, picking up her Ipod. She swiftly snagged her laptop and started to log into the chat room. Then she sat down next to me. The door opened, revealing Ms. Martinez with her suitcase.

"Max, Ella! It's good to see you two again," she stressed sincerely. We were subjected to many hugs and kisses. Ella made the smart decision and pulled in her wings as tight as they would go just before Mom had burst into the room. After she had calmed down slightly, she finally let go of Ella to get a good look at her. I hoped she noticed nothing different, not yet anyway. "So, may I take a guess as to why Jebb left?"

"He had an urgent call from Mr. Chu, telling him to get his butt out of the house on whatever mission he granted him," I briefed her. She nodded, seeming to have expected this answer.

"Has anything interesting happened while I was away?" she asked me. Ella and I exchanged a look, which did not go unnoticed by Mom. She gazed at us curiously. Ella rocked back and forth on her feet, trying to come up with a way to break the news. I silently urged her to be the brave one and tell her that she was a hybrid now.

"Well…" she started. Ms. Martinez waited expectantly. "How do I put this..." she muttered. She turned around slowly and let her wings stretch out. Mom's eyes, so much like Ella's, popped wide open, and her mouth dropped open.

"Ella! How-? What-? When-? Why?" she spluttered. She took several breaths, trying to calm herself. Ella turned around, looking apologetic. During this time, Iggy had entered the room.

"Hey guys I heard Mom was home and…what's going on? Why is Dr. M freaking out?" he asked. A puzzled expression crossed his sightless eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Nudge, 3rd person

chatterbox17: angel whats up?

valentine34: nothing much. u?

chatterbox17: oh this day is soo much fun! u should join us outside! how come u never wanna play with us anymore?

valentine34: im busy

chatterbox17: doing what?

valentine34: none of your buisness

chatterbox17: ok then

valentine34: so whatcha doin?

chatterbox17: im in ellas room...made a major discovery :O

valentine34: i know, i read her mind

chatterbox17: oh yeah i forgot anyway come out we miss u being with us even though things r different now. plus fang and max have started kissing and is so gross and stuff i dont wanna watch and iggy has been looking at ella all weird when she calls his name or talks about him and she looks weird when she says his name, her eyes get all soft and her tone suddenly get quiet and stuff like hes a stranger or something i just want u to come and end the craziness so can u come out here? i bet total gets bored in there!

valentine34: okay! fine! if it makes u shut up!

chatterbox17: thank u angel u wont regret coming out of ur room!

**valentine34 has logged off of Nudge'sPrivateChatroom...shhhh!**

**chatterbox17 has logged off of Nudge'sPrivateChatroom...shhhh!**

Nudge smiled with the satisfaction that she got her way again. She looked at the scene before her; Iggy was being explained the whole story by Dr. M, Max and Fang started making out in a corner, and Ella was curiously watching Iggy. Suddenly, Nudge wasn't so bored anymore. Ella was inensely staring at the blind pyrotechnic, as if she was trying to figure something out about him. She bit her lip and stared harder. At last, a look of confusion swept across her face, and she sat down on her bed, in a daze. Nudge couldn't make any sense of it, but she didn't spend too much time worrying about it, because Angel and Total joined the party. They walked into the room toward Nudge, hardly glancing at Ella.

"We'll get something to eat before we play," Angel said, while Total jumped into her arms happily. She scratched behind his ear.

"Oh good I'm starving!" Total said, smiling as she turned gentler with her scratching. Nudge squinted, observing the seven year old. Her heart just didn't seem to be into caring for the dog anymore, but he didn't even take the slightest notice. Total's thoughts were all about Akila, and Nudge didn't need a mind reader to know. He talked about her all the time, bringing by updates on her and her health, and constantly murmured her name in his sleep. Nudge followed Angel out to get something to eat. She opened the fridge while Angel looked in the pantry. There wasn't much, maybe enough for at least one bird kid. Then she went into the pantry, and was proven wrong pretty quickly. Foods of all kinds were piled, stacked, and precariously positioned on numerous shelves, whether it be packaged or canned or something else. Angel grabbed a few boxes of macaroni and called for Iggy.

**Ella's POV**

Just when I thought everything was over, of course something else had to happen. I was cheerfully logging into the chat room. I was informed by Max that everyone would log in after lunch. With that in mind, I had joined everyone and had my share of macaroni before coming back to my room. Having recently discovered we can make up names for the chat rooms, each member in the flock, including me, made up their very own room.

**MaxRide has logged on to Ella's Club**

**chatterbox17 has logged on to Ella's Club**

**Woof has logged on to Ella's Club**

undergirl: Well, that's everyone. Nudge, weren't you going to play with Angel?

chatterbox17: oh yea i forgot byee

**chatterbox17 has logged off of Ella's Club**

Woof: And then there were three.

MaxRide: can it, total

Woof: Someone's got an attitude

MaxRide: yea and its not me

undergirl: Please stop fighting!

MaxRide: ill shut up when he does, and plus im leader that makes ME the boss

undergirl: But this is MY chat room, so behave before I boot you out!

MaxRide: fair enough I guess

Woof: Can't argue with that.

It was around this time that I felt a splitting pain in my head. I clutched the sides of my head, begging for the pain to stop. The intense throbbing continued, and I tried to choke out a cry of help, but the shock froze my voice. My breath did not come easily, and I tried breathing shallowly until the pounding inside my skull lessened slightly. Slowly, too slowly, at the most torturous pace possible, the pain subsided to a pinpoint. I blinked in surprise. _What the heck was that?_ I thought. I looked back at the screen, and it looked like I had missed part of a conversation.

MaxRide: um ella I asked u a question. when r u coming outside with us?

undergirl: Oh, sorry! I'll be down in a second.

**Woof has logged off of Ella's Club**

**MaxRide has logged off of Ella's Club**

**undergirl has logged off of Ella's Club**

I launched myself out the window, my wings catching air at once. I flew up, higher, toward the clouds. There I found the rest of the flock playing tag in the air. They all seemed to be avoiding Gazzy, so I assumed that he was it, and kept my distance. Iggy laughed and threw a bomb in his direction. He ducked, and it went sailing over his head. I flew into the action, and nearly got bowled over by Max, who must have been flying at least two hundred miles an hour. Her laughter echoed over to me as she circled around Angel and Nudge.

"Hey! I'm right here!" Nudge teased, throwing something at Gazzy's head. He turned and tagged her. Her smile disappeared as quickly as it came. "Aw man, now I'm it!" she complained. Her first target was me. I flapped as far away from her as I could and pulled into a sudden dive when she got within my reach. She went after me, and I twirled upward. Max grabbed my hand and yanked me up. She flew faster, faster, and faster still. The wind whipped my hair into tangled knots on my head and everything blurred. We went in circles, our hands still joined. Max let go of me, and I went flying like I had been shot from a catapult. I used my momentum to turn myself around and fly back to the rest of the group. Then the headache happened again, much worse this time. The pain exploded inside my head, and I started losing altitude quickly.

"Ella!" Max shouted. I was unable to answer, the hammering in my head made it too painful to even work through any coherent thoughts. I closed my eyes, thinking this was the end. I distantly heard Max give Iggy instructions. Then someone grabbed me by the wrist and tried to pull me up, but I weakly shook my head.

"No…must…land….now," I whispered, losing consciousness. I felt myself being lowered to the ground. The constant throbbing was impossible to think around. With my eyes closed, it was a little better. Back on the ground, I was carried into the house. I heard footsteps on the carpet stairs. Whoever was carrying me, he seemed to have a gentle hold on me. I relaxed slightly, feeling safe. Finally, I was laid down on a bed. The pain was starting to go away again. I opened my eyes to see Iggy.

"Ella, are you all right?" he asked me.

"Y-yeah, I guess," I stuttered. The words didn't seem to come out the way I wanted them to. For some odd reason, I felt like blushing. _What is wrong with me? _I looked into his eyes, and my mind drifted. I always felt this way when I looked at him, but before today, I just thought it was because I felt on edge from his blank eyes.

"What happened earlier? We were just flying around. Max said you looked hurt," he was saying, snapping me out of my daydreams.

"I don't know what happened," I admitted."One minute I was flying through the air, and the next, I had a sudden and intense headache. It's gone now," I added. He seemed to like the sound of my voice, according to the expression on his face. I wondered what was going on between us. Yesterday I wouldn't have given Iggy a second thought but today, things were different. My insides squirmed, and I didn't know what to say next. I chewed on my lip, feeling extremely awkward for some reason. I was suddenly reminded of the romance novels I was forced to read. _Wait a minute…_I thought. Does this mean _I_ love _him_? There was only one way to find out…

"Iggy," I said slowly. "I want to ask you something,"

**Max's POV**

Of course, after an unusual occurrence like that, I just wasn't going to sit by on the sidelines and pretend nothing happened. I flew towards Ella's window, the image of her face screwed up in pain as she fell still burned freshly into my mind. What I saw inside her window surprised me so much that I slammed into it like those stupid, brainless pigeons. While I rubbed my aching forehead, I watched as Ella glanced at the window, shrugged, and kissed Iggy again. I landed in the grass, stunned. What happened in the last five minutes? One minute, Ella has a sudden headache, and the next she's all over Iggy like he's her boyfriend or something. Fang had caught up to me by now, and laid his hands on my shoulders.

"Hey, what's going on? Ella has been acting weird," he commented, leaning down to kiss my neck. I stiffened. He had never been romantic in _this_ way before. After a minute, I turned and kissed him full on the lips.

"I don't know what's happening to her," I admitted between kisses. "Maybe its part of this whole human teenage thing she's told me about once," I heard a car approach, and Fang dropped me. I fell to the ground. "Hey!" I shouted from the grass. Fang ignored me, turning around in surprise.

"Holy crap, it's Jebb!" he shouted, running toward the car. I scrambled to my feet and followed him. Without thinking, I grabbed a feather that innocently sat on the ground and put it in my pocket. I thought I heard someone laugh. I looked around, shrugged, and continued on my way.

"Whoa, slow down there! Is your mother home yet?" he asked me. My eyes shifted to her car and back to him. He followed my gaze.

"Oh. I hope she took my sudden departure well, he said worriedly. My eyes widened. When was the last time I had spoken to my mother? I dashed into the house as fast as I could. In seconds, I had burst through the front door and into Mom's bedroom. Angel was talking to her. I halted in my tracks.

"Now, I want you to set the trap," Angel was instructing her. Ms. Martinez nodded, staring ahead blankly. "All right, that should be everything. You know what to do from there. Let me take care—oh hi Max!" Her expression changed from very serious to sweet and angelic in less than a second after noticing I was in the room.

"Angel, what do you think you're doing?" I demanded. Her eyes blinked innocently.

"Max, I'm not doing anything. You know that," she said slowly, almost hypnotically. I gazed into her face, but felt none of that warmth that I used to feel toward her. Instead, all I could manage was horror, outrage, and shock…she had crossed the line.

"I don't believe a word of that crap. You need to stop this. You're an out of control brat who doesn't listen to a word I say anymore. Clean up your act before I do it for you," I ordered. She rolled her eyes.

"I think we both know that's not possible. Besides, I already have your precious mother under my control? Who's to stop me?" She smirked at me.

_Max, I just want to tell you I'm in the room,_ the Voice said.

_Great, Jebb. I have an idea, stay hidden._ I replied. I kept my eyes locked on Angel, careful not to think about anything but how furious I was with her.

"How could you do this to us? To Mom?" I interrogated, glaring at her. "Do you think she even wants this? What brought down the idea you could suddenly take control everybody whenever you wanted?"

"Back in New York, when I got Celeste because I really, really wanted her, and you wouldn't let me have her," Angel's eyes filled with tears as she looked at me. I refused to be convinced by her sweet, innocent act.

"Sweetie, I couldn't afford to buy her for you," I said. "That didn't mean I didn't want you to have her. I know how much you wanted Celeste, and if I could have, I would have bought you a hundred bears. But it was too expensive. I'm sorry Angel. But, on the other hand, you did know I told you that when you found it. Then you went off and deliberately disobeyed me," Angel did not even seem to care about how much trouble she was about to get in. Jebb silently stalked behind Angel, sending tabs toward me about random things that made no sense. I didn't take any notice to him. I had to keep Angel occupied.

"You're about to find out that taking over the world won't get you many friends in school, Angel." Her face showed surprise now, and I was curious. What has she been plotting?

"Is that what you think I've been doing? Oh Max, it's like you don't know me at all anymore," she sighed.

"I don't know you at all anymore," I agreed. It's like you're a whole new person."

"I can't tell you what I'm doing because you won't let me." She stared at me fiercely, but I refused to back down. I gave her my best hawk like scowl, crossing my arms and standing tall over her. Not even the slightest spark of fear swept across her. I gritted my teeth, squinting at her in frustration. She wasn't afraid of me? She should be. Jebb pounced then, and Angel leapt out of the way just as he reached her. He snatched empty air, but unfortunately kept flying until he slammed into me. We went tumbling to the floor, and Angel escaped, dashing out the door to who knows where. I swore under my breath as Mom came back to her senses.

"What…what happened?" she murmured dazedly. I ran to Mom and hugged her. She returned the gesture, confused. I pulled back, examining her face. She seemed fine…unless it was an illusion.

"Mom, Angel is out of control. We need to contain her before she makes an army of slaves or something," I explained in a rush, my eyes on the open door where Angel had taken her flight away from capture. She could be back any second now. I hugged her again, more tightly this time. Jebb had gotten up by now, grumbling about mind readers. He gave me an apologetic look, and ran out of the room after Angel. I let him go.

"I don't remember…" she said, gazing into the distance. I worriedly glanced at her. She still seemed out of it. It had never taken this long for someone to recover from being under Angel's control. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from breaking down into tears right in front of her. I felt a few escape, and I bit down harder, until I felt it bleed. I ignored the pain and went to find Fang.


	6. Chapter 6

**Fang, 3****rd**** person**

Ella clutched her head in pain again, but it was so much more than a headache this time. Her skin grew very clammy and her breath came in heaves. The strangest look crossed her face after that, and it puzzled Fang.

"I feel…so strange…" she murmured. She gritted her teeth, and Fang worriedly watched her. Iggy stood there, completely at a loss of what to say. "I feel…so many things…" her eyes stared at him, but seemed to see nothing. Iggy started toward her, but Fang held up a hand as he came in his reach. He stopped. Fang could sense the worst was coming. She continued to struggle to put a coherent sentence together for several minutes, stuttering that her head hurt and she wanted Iggy by her side. Fang granted her request, and he was there at once, holding her hand. Her eyes widened. Ella stood up then, the pain draining from her face. Iggy let go of her hand in alarm as he felt her sudden shift in position.

"I-I don't hurt anymore," she said in surprise, glancing herself over. Relief colored her face, and she sighed peacefully. Suddenly, the smile was wiped off her face as she concentrated on something none of us could sense. I watched as her emotion changed to sadness and concern. Max entered the room then, tears streaking down her face and falling to the floor. Ella's eyes widened at her. Fang was at her side, shushing her cries and wiping her tears.

"Shh…it's okay, Max…" he comforted, stroking her hair. Max calmed down a little, but tears continued to spill over her eyes and soaking his shirt. "What's wrong?" he calmly asked, continuing to comfort her. He knew when Max got like this she should be calmed down before things got out of control. He knew the terrible results the last time that happened…he shuddered, remembering the gashes on Max's arm bleeding severely. He glanced down at her arm and noticed the scars there, a permanent reminder of what happened.

"Well, Angel mind controlled Mom and now she can't snap out of it. She barely knows who I am," she whimpered into his shirt. Fang was shocked, but he didn't show it. His face remained serious as usual. With Max in tow, he hurried into Ms. Martinez's room. There Angel stood, casually leaning against the bed and smiling at them. Ms. Martinez remained on the bed, deeper in her trance than ever. The loving expression in her eyes had faded to lifelessness and indifference. When her eyes landed on Max, they sparked with hatred and the promise of revenge. Jebb was tied up in a corner, struggling against the ropes. Nudge and Gasman were tied up with him, and they sadly looked at Fang and Max in defeat. Total was in a cage at his feet, trying to talk through his muzzle. Fang looked away, not wanting to watch them any longer. He smelled cherries, and then he started to become very sleepy. He yawned and fell to the floor to sleep.

When he woke up, he was tied to Iggy and Max was left standing there in horror. Angel stood there with her back to me, walking toward Max. She backed up into the wall in fear.

"You have to choose Max," she said in her sweet seven year old voice. "Either make me leader, or you might never see your precious flock again. Or something worse than that could happen." Max looked at me helplessly for a moment. The minutes ticked by, and Fang could feel the tension weighing heavier by the second. Angel turned slightly, and he could see her in profile. She smirked with satisfaction. He struggled to loosen the ropes tightly restraining me. He felt them burning my skin as he twisted side to side.

"I…I…I can't," Max finally sighed, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "P-Please don't hurt them…I'll do anything!" she cried, putting her hands to her face and sobbing. Angel's smile grew wider; she was enjoying Max's pain and suffering.

"I knew it would all come to this," she said, her voice dripping with the smugness and superiority Max usually had. Fang gave up on getting free.

"What's going to happen to us?" Nudge asked. Her cheeriness had long since been fought out of her, it looked like. Her weary face looked overworked, and there were cuts on her cheeks and arms. Fang looked over at the others; Iggy was listening to Gazzy's methods of escape, and he continually shook his head sadly at each suggestion. Fang felt hope quickly fading. There didn't seem to be a way out of this.

**Ari, 3****rd**** person**

Ari watched the house from his perch, wincing at the pain of his healing leg. Max was caught in a choice that seemed inescapable even to him. The Eraser growled, trying to get more comfortable in the tree. Another feather fell off of his wing and drifted to the ground. He squinted at the second floor window that was close to him. That girl…what was her name? Ella? She appeared to be concentrating on something. Suddenly, she turned away and ran out of the room. On his computer screen, he watched her run into a bedroom. The rest of the group tied up, except for that creep Angel. Max was cowered against the wall, begging her flock to be spared. Ari was glad he had put trackers in them when they had fled from the School. Although he no longer hunted them down to bring them back to that place, the trackers were still useful. He watched Ella untie everyone and yell at Angel, hugging her mother. Ari narrowed his eyes at the screen. That girl is strange. How did she even know they were even in danger? She couldn't be a mind reader, Angel already had that power. Not a fortune teller, she didn't even start looking until a second ago. He scratched his head in confusion. Angel was telling the woman to do something. She started to tape over Max's mouth. She glared at her, but didn't fight back. He blinked in surprise when he noticed her arms were taped to her wings, and she struggled to get free. He knew he had to do something, but what? Ari set his computer down and launched himself at the roof, letting his wings beat once before slamming into the shingles as hard as he could. The roof cracked beneath him, and he jumped up and down in an effort to break it, ignoring the screaming pain in his half broken leg and the molting feathers flying everywhere. He vaguely wondered how Max dealt with her molting in the summer when the roof suddenly gave way and he fell into the bedroom he had seen the girl Ella run into.

"Aaaah! It's a ghost!" Jebb screamed theatrically. Nobody else seemed more surprised by his sudden entrance than Max. She stared at him as if he were a mirage. He pinned down Angel and ripped the tape off of Max's mouth. Angel squirmed against the bed, biting his hand to make him let her go. He ignored her and tore the tape off of Max's arms. She let out her breath in a gust and rubbed her arms. Ari turned to the others to set them free, but at that moment, Angel escaped. She jumped up and danced out of his lunging reach. Max ran to untie the rest of the flock while Ari chased after Angel. They were both in the air now and flying up through the hole in the roof he had created. His leg had started to throb, but he tried his best not to take notice. It would be healed by dawn. As he rose higher and higher, he got a glimpse of the sun setting in the west before it was swallowed up by clouds. He grabbed her by the leg and dragged her back down toward him. She squirmed out of his grasp, her naked foot kicking him in the face. Blood spurted out of his nose and he gritted his teeth in pain.

"You're going down, kid," he said gruffly. "Max is my sister, and _nobody_ tries to hurt my sister and get away with it." She didn't answer; instead she flew forward and kicked him in the chest. Ari was prepared this time, and just as she touched his chest, he grabbed her arms and pulled her with him. He twisted into a back flip and started toward the house below him. As Angel tried to bite him again, he started to morph. He scratched her face, and she let go in surprise, falling several dozen feet before letting out her wings faster than a parachute when skydiving. Ari slammed into her just as she came within reach, using the gravity to heavily land on the roof. He felt a jolt under him as he knocked all the breath out of her lungs. He shoved her unconscious body through the gaping hole in front of him. Below him, the action continued. The woman sitting on the bed caught the slightest glimpse of him before he scurried into the shadows. Unfortunately, the white coats were waiting for him there. After almost a year of being in hiding, they carted him off to the School. He knew he would not return. _Max_, he thought desperately, _I hope you understand what I was trying to do to help…_

After hours of being stuffed into a small van and feeling every single bump on the road, he was shoved into a dog crate and sent to an unknown part of the School. He was injected with something, and the world faded into the blacks and grays of a dreamless sleep.

**Nudge, 3****rd**** person**

**chatterbox17 has logged onto Chatroom A**

MaxRide: wheres ella and mom? theyre taking forever…

chatterbox17: relax theyre having a talk…

MaxRide: so does ella have some kind of power or something?

chatterbox17: that might explain some of what happened max, and im scared. whered angel go?

MaxRide: i told her to either let me be leader or go away. guess what she chose.

chatterbox17: oh i see

Woof: Oh my God this day has been totally awful!

MaxRide: you said it total

SilentFeather: heeey maxi

MaxRide: hi fangy J

SilentFeather: sooo this day has been weird, right

MaxRide: weird doesn't even begin to cover it

SnoopDoggfan: The good news is that Angel is out of the way for now. But we need to keep a tab on her location. I think Ari is the one up for that job. I'll try contacting him.

**SnoopDoggfan has logged off of Chatroom A**

CaptainBlindTerror: dude…i told you the bomb was in the left pocket!

CaptianBlindTerror: well sooorry!

CaptainBlindTerror: ugh…never mind its too late now. im gonna need new pants.

MaxRide: faaang…wanna kiss?

SilentFeather: youre greedy tonight

MaxRide: im in a good mood, my knight in shining armor

SilentFeather: …since when am i your knight in shining armor?

MaxRide: hummdumdeedum…

chatterbox17: max are you okay?

MaxRide: ouch! that hurt!

chatterbox17: sorry you seemed kinda nutso

MaxRide: you didn't have to slap me that hard! seriously nudge!

SilentFeather: welcome back max

MaxRide: grumblegrumblegrumble…

Woof: I cant believe Angel wants to take over the flock and make herself leader and stuff. I mean come on, I'd be a better leader…

CaptainBlindTerror: says who? btw, next time don't inhale the bomb fumes so much max. it makes you a little crazy.

MaxRide: thanks for the warning iggy…

CaptianBlindTerror: iggy is in the bathroom

SilentFeather: we didn't need to know that gasman

chatterbox17: yeah i know like really gazzy thats sooo gross and stuff i cant believe u said that and wow did u know i can type as much as i want here that is soooo cool and i wonder what were doing tonight hey whats up with ella and iggy, do you know anything?

MaxRide: well maaaaybe a little….

chatterbox17: tell me everything dont leave a single detail out i want to know everything and ill be sooooo sad if u dont say everything and keep a secret cuz u don't want iggy to grow up too fast and that wouldnt make any sense you know? its like saying u don't wanna go outside cuz ur allergic to air when ur only allergic to pollen or something less extreme and i wonder if they love each other? do they do they really max cuz that would be soooo cool if they were id be so happy for them and all and id be all excited when they held hands ad stuff…so are they in love or not max? talk already! cant u say something?

MaxRide: ugh do u ever SHUT UP? ill tell u okay? sheesh…

chatterbox17: works every time :P

MaxRide: I think theyre in love, or something weird like that. I saw them kissing.

CaptianBlindTerror: that noise was YOU? seriously how could you barge in like that?

MaxRide: I didn't mean to

**undergirl has logged onto Chatroom A**

undergirl: Good news! Mom is fine now! :D

MaxRide: yay i want to see her!

chatterbox17: wait max youre going to unplug my laptop if you go there my laptop is about to

**chatterbox17 was disconnected**

Woof: Thank God…we can get some peace and quiet now.

undergirl: Mom should be online soon…give her the whole story Max.

Nudge groaned. Her laptop battery had died the instant it cam unplugged. Upstairs, she could hear Gazzy and Iggy fighting over the computer again, and it sounded like it was getting physical. She sighed and looked over at Ella. She was concentrating on that same mysterious something again. Max had been with Dr. M for quite some time now, and things had calmed down slightly. Total sat in front of his computer sighing at the screen. Fang was on the stairs, quietly waiting for Max. Nudge plugged her laptop back in and logged into chat again. Her stomach growled, so she abandoned the computer and went to make herself some dinner.

**Ella's POV**

_I finally figured it out_, I thought in surprise, exploring this new and exciting power I had gained today. I could sense other people's emotions around me. I couldn't hear Max's conversation with Mom, but I could feel the understanding and worry seeping through the wall. Nudge got up and left the room after giving me a few strange looks. I looked over to Total and he was yelling at Gasman and Iggy to be quiet.

"Hey," Fang's voice said behind me. I jumped, startled. He chuckled. "So, crazy day, right?" I nodded, confused. Why was he talking to me? I stared at him, sifting through his emotions. Friendliness…happiness…nothing suggested anything suspicious.

"Yes, I suppose," I answered vaguely. He seemed to notice that I was different today. Was it that obvious?

"Ella, is something going on I need to know about? You can talk if—" the door opened then and he leapt back suddenly with his hands up in surrender. Max came out with my Mom, who was fortunately normal once again. She showed no sign of having been Angel's slave. Max smiled at her, and grinned when she saw me. I caught a large wave of joy from her, and I couldn't help but smile back.

"Max, you're so happy that Mom is back to normal, and you're confused, Mom," I commented, forgetting for a moment they didn't know what I recently discovered. They exchanged a look.

"What are you talking about, Ella?" Max asked me.

"Oh, right I forgot to tell you that I got a power today and that was the reason why-" A door upstairs banged open, and Gazzy flew downstairs carrying the laptop. I frowned at the interruption. I didn't have much time to think about the news I had for Max. The smell of lasagna came from the kitchen, and I hungrily followed the scent to see Nudge with a pan full of the steaming pasta meal. She smiled at the sight of me.

"Oh hey," she said. "Who wants lasagna?" After a line up session and long argument of who gets to sit closest to the TV at the table, everyone was enjoying Nudge's lasagna. I must have devoured at least three plates before I was full enough to be able think about anything but my snarling stomach. Conversation was sparse; Nudge was doing most of the talking, as usual. I tuned out her senseless babble and caught Iggy's eye. Well, not really, since he was blind. Mom sat down at the table to join us. She had to be squeezed between Iggy and Fang, and she looked extremely uncomfortable. Max happened to be sitting next to me, so I took this moment to tell her my piece of news of the day.

"As I was saying earlier, Max," I started. She looked over to me.

"Yeah, what is it? Spit it out already!"

"I got a special power that helped me save you guys today, isn't that great?" I squeaked with excitement. She looked at me doubtfully.

"You didn't save us, Ari did," Max corrected me. I sighed in frustration. I wasn't getting anywhere with her. I tried again.

"Max, pay attention to what I'm saying. Stop letting Fang distract you so much," I said impatiently. She was sitting next to Fang, and was using every opportunity she could to kiss him while I tried to talk to her. Now, she gave me an annoyed look and rolled her eyes. What was wrong with her? I probed her emotions, and found…doubt and indifference. After a moment's silence, I spoke. "There, now that I have your attention, I wanted to tell you something important. The weird things that were happening today…well, I got a power today. I can sense other people's emotions. I was kind of hoping you would be paying more attention for this, but I guess not. That is all. Go back to kissing your precious Fang," I stormed off to my room, leaving behind a group of surprised faces. I slammed the door and locked it. On my desk was my personal journal. I poured out all my frustrations into it and tossed it aside before unlocking the door and flying out the window. I landed on the tree nearby, a place I could be alone. It turns out; somebody else was here before I was. An abandoned laptop sat innocently on the branch, the screen showing different angles of the inside of the house. I gasped; we had a stalker.


	7. Chapter 7

**mexicanagurlz has logged onto Where's Ella?**

**SnoopDogg fan has logged onto Where's Ella?**

**MaxRide has logged onto Where's Ella?  
**

**SilentFeather has logged onto Where's Ella?**

**chatterbox17 has logged onto Where's Ella?**

**CaptianBlindTerror has logged onto Where's Ella?**

**Woof has logged onto Where's Ella?**

SnoopDoggfan: Okay, where did Ella go? What happened? She just stormed off and left us all in a confused mess.

mexicanagurlz: I don't know, Jebb.

MaxRide: this was my fault. im sorry.

mexicanagurlz: Don't blame yourself, Max. I'm sure it wasn't your fault.

MaxRide: you didnt hear what she said, though...i was being selfish and wrapped up in my own problems

SilentFeather: i shouldnt have distracted you so much

chatterbox17: i shouldnt have talked so much

CaptianBlindTerror: i was blind to it. literally. and gazzy...idk bout him

Woof: I should pay more attention to my surroundings.

SnoopDoggfan: I should take better care of my children.

mexicanagurlz: We all have some portion of the blame, so we need to work together to find her. Look for clues in her room Max. Report back here with your findings.

As Max headed up the stairs to Ella's room, she remembered all the times that only the flock were part of the activities, and Ella was excluded…

"_Hey guys, who wants to play this game?" Gazzy asked excitedly at the dinner table. Fang quickly agreed; eager for a night of fun. Nudge suggested that they should have a sleepover in the living room with sleeping bags and everything. Angel popped some popcorn and got candy for everybody. Fang started the invented card game by dealing out the cards. Everyone got seven cards. Max eagerly looked at her deck._

"_Anyone got any eights?" Nudge asked, looking around. "No? I pick…Iggy to do the dare I have selected for him." Ella joined in the game, curious to see what the flock members do besides save the world. Iggy groaned._

"_Time to spin the wheel of dares," Nudge cried gleefully. Ella looked around, confused. Max gave her a shocked look. How could she not know how to play Eights or Dares?_

Then there was the time they were voting on which TV show to watch…

"_I say we watch SpongeBob," Angel insisted. Nudge shook her head._

"_No, let's watch Hannah Montana!" she suggested, changing the channel. Gazzy snatched the remote from her._

"_I want to watch what's on Animal Planet," he argued, changing the channel again. Angel switched the TV back to Nickelodeon. Max groaned._

"_All right guys, let's take a vote. Who wants to watch-" As she spoke, Max was forced to duck as a pillow went sailing over her head._

"_I know, we can-"Ella tried to suggest, but got hit by a well-aimed pillow from Iggy._

"_Animal Planet!" Gasman yelled, chucking a pillow at Nudge, who jumped neatly over it._

"_Disney Channel," she replied in a bored voice. Ella tried to bring order to the house._

"_Come on, let's go outside," she said, pulling aside the curtains. A storm was approaching, rain splattering the windows with almost as much force as hail. Lightning flashed in the sky every now and then, lighting up the dark sky. She sighed and turned away from the window._

There was also the moment when they went outside to play hide-and-seek with Ella being it…

_Max must have been crouched in her hiding spot for half an hour. Maybe she should have hid in a spot to be within reach of Ella, instead of choosing a crevice in this tree fifty feet in the air. She watched as Ella wandered around, looking for her. Max was the only one still hidden, and the only one who had forgotten for a moment that Ella was human. She sighed, and jumped down from her perch, landing lightly in the grass._

Max frowned to herself as she paused at the top of the stairs. That couldn't have been everything. There was so much more than that. Not only did she exclude her, but didn't she forget other key things that separated her from the flock? For example, a recent discovery from Jebb made them realize that the flock was resistant to most normal diseases and allergies. As Max reached for the doorknob, she realized that forgetting that humans still had allergic reactions to certain things had nearly cost Ella's life…

"_I'm ordering pizza!" Iggy announced, picking up the phone. "What do you guys want?" Everyone gathered in the living room, talking at once._

"_Pineapples! Let's have pineapples on the pizza!" Nudge cried out. Angel nodded eagerly in agreement._

"_Pepperoni, sausage, and anchovies," Total said in a bored voice. Nudge wrinkled her nose in disgust._

"_Eww, anchovies? That sounds gross, Total!"_

"_I think we should take a vote!" Max called._

"_Jalapeños of course," Gazzy added. After at least twelve suggestions of the same thing and several resolved physical arguments, Angel wrote down all the orders on a sheet and called the pizza place to make the orders. After the pizza had arrived, Ella came downstairs to join the group._

"_Ooh, pizza!" Ella unthinkingly reached for a slice of pineapple pizza and took a bite. Nobody took any notice. Ten seconds later, Max sensed something was wrong._

"_Ella, aren't you allergic to pineapple?" she asked in the sudden silence. Ella's breath hitched in her throat as she slowly nodded her head. She coughed, and started to choke. Her hands flew to her throat and her eyes widened. For one instantaneous second, nobody moved. And then Max was at her side, trying to get her to breathe._

"_Find…my allergy medicine," she said in a choked whisper as her oxygen quickly burned away. "Iggy knows where…" She collapsed in Max's arms, unconscious._

"_What are you waiting for Iggy? Go!" she ordered. He sprinted up the stairs without any hesitation. Seconds later, he returned with a syringe full of clear liquid. He injected it into a vein in her arm and pushed the plunger in. The results were almost instant. Ella gasped and her eyes snapped opened. Though she suffered from no ill effects, Max will never forget the look on her face..._

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the flashbacks and went into Ella's room. Everything is how it was last time she came in here, except for a journal laying on the floor. Max picked it up and flipped to the last entry, which was today.

**Nobody seems to understand I want to belong! I exist too! I'm as part of the flock as Gazzy, Iggy, Total, and the others. Even now, with my powers and being JUST LIKE my idol, Max, I'm more invisible than ever. Well, no more. I'm going to prove myself to them. I'm going to be alone for a while to see if I'm missed, then I will return and try to be the best flock member there ever was. If that doesn't work, I'll disappear forever. I think the School would be a welcome place for me. Iggy would understand, I think. Oh, how I love him! I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out. If Max is reading this, I hope she isn't mad at me. Or looking for me. I don't wish to be found, just to be alone for a few weeks.**

**Angel's POV**

Rain splashed onto my shirt as I left the bank with the amount of money I needed. I needed to find a map, and fast. I hadn't even been gone for twenty-four hours and already the strong hurricane winds have knocked me off course three times. I felt a pang in my heart with the realization that I can never go back to Max and the others. I knew they hated me. I also knew they would never forgive me for my recent behavior, or understand it. I was only beginning to understand it myself, and I was smart for my age. I thought back to that day in New York when I had gotten that mind control power.

"_You should try making her buy it for you, isn't that the only way?" the man suggested sweetly. His voice was hard not to listen to, and being young, I believed him. I nodded in resignation._

"_Right, I'll try that, but what will Max say?" I asked in a small voice. He chuckled._

"_Oh, her? Why should you listen to such a bossy girl? She does nothing what's best for you. Besides, you have much better powers than that silly Voice, shouldn't you be the leader?" I liked the sound of that, being a leader and telling Max and Fang what to do._

"_Okay, but do you really insist on keeping mental tabs with this? It doesn't seem necessary," I held up the strange device. He laughed again._

"_You silly girl, you have to remember that Mr. Chu knows more than you. So what does that mean?"_

"_You make the decisions,"_

"_Right, now run along. But wait…" he gazed into my eyes, and I felt myself lose focus. Everything got foggy, and I couldn't think straight. Have I seen that guy before?_

I checked the blogs: it looked like there was a lot of action today. I logged in, eager to keep up with things.

**MaxRide: oh look who finally showed up**

**MaxRide: aren't u going to say something?  
**

**SilentFeather: what? I cant do all the talking**

**chatterbox17: that was my line fang…**

**Woof: Angel is online. Little devil, little devil, how divine…**

**chatterbox17: angel? oh no :O**

**mexicanagurlz: I'm out!**

**mexicanagurlz has logged off of Where's Ella?**

**CaptianBlindTerror: uuuuh...this is awkward…**

**MaxRide: im guessing shes just hanging around, no worries…i dont think…**

**chatterbox17: i think ill go to bed**

**chatterbox17 has logged off of Where's Ella?**

**Woof: Me too**

**Woof logged off of Where's Ella?**

**SilentFeather: bye**

**SilentFeather has logged off of Where's Ella?**

MaxRide: theres nothing to tell u so leave

**MaxRide has logged off of Where's Ella?**

**valentine34 has logged off of Where's Ella?**

I sighed and put my laptop back into my backpack. I should have seen that coming. The rain started to come down harder, and I had to run in order to avoid getting my wings wet. There was only one place I had left to go, and it most certainly wasn't home. I took out four quarters and headed for the closest payphone, dodging the people rushing to escape the storm. I dialed a number that I had learned by heart.

"Hello?" a gruff voice answered. I swallowed my pride and spoke.

"I need to speak to your advisor," I said, trying to sound older than I was. "I need-"A hand came over my mouth and I was dragged away from the phone.

"Angel, there's no need to get rid of your tracker," Mr. Chu said in a falsely friendly voice. I struggled to free myself, but he hung on tight. But I was stronger than him. I should be able to break free. The more I tried to break free, the harder he tightened his grip on my wrist as he continued to yank me toward the navy blue van parked in the street. I screamed for help, but all the people continued to ignore us. I kicked as hard as I could and bit his hand but he merely laughed and pulled harder. At last, he had reached the van and had to let go of me to find his keys. I took that moment to try and escape. I ran into the nearest building and set off an alarm with the metal tracker in my necklace. I tore it off and hid it inside somebody's hat.

"Hey, what gives?" a lady asked, handing the necklace back to me. I chose this moment to turn on my seven year old charm.

"P-please lady, can't you take this?" I asked, sobbing into her skirt. "I j-just want some m-money for food so my family can eat tonight. If I don't," I stopped then, breaking into improvised chest-wracking sobs right in the middle of the store. I could sense people watching me, so I knew the plan was working.

"If you don't…?" the middle-aged woman asked. I looked up at her.

"If I don't," I whispered, "then my daddy will be mad, and when he gets mad…" I let myself trail off and casually revealed the bruise that Mr. Chu gave me. The stranger gasped and nearly dropped the parcel she was holding. She took the necklace at once and handed me five twenty dollar bills.

"Here you take that," she said in a rush, looking around herself anxiously. "Don't tell my husband, he doesn't know about my second job," I nodded and smiled at her sweetly.

"Thank you," I said, dashing back outside and taking off into the air. I put the money into my backpack and found a hotel to stay in a few more miles inland. Lightning flashed in the sky as I landed and pulled my wings in tightly so they couldn't be seen. I was soaked to the skin and very thankful that my backpack was waterproof and weather resistant. I shook out my hair and opened the door. As soon as I checked in and found myself a room, I collapsed onto my bed and fell asleep in my rain-soaked clothes.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ms. Martinez's POV**

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella_

"Hello? Ella, where are you?" I asked desperately. It had been a stressful three days since my precious daughter had run away from home. I don't remember sleeping since Max had shown me the entry in her journal that showed the reason why she left.

"Mom, I just wanted to call and tell you that-"

"Oh I'm so glad to hear from you! I've been so worried about you, Ella; it has really been stressing me out the past few days. Promise me that you're somewhere safe and warm," I spoke in a rush, barely stopping to breathe.

"Calm down, I have to tell you something," she whispered frantically. I waited, this sounded important. Max came into the living room to join me.

"Can I talk to her?" she mouthed, pointing at the phone. I held up my hand for her to wait.

"I'm…not exactly in a very good position at the moment. I wish I could tell you exactly where I was, but I think that Max would understand what I was talking about more than you," she was saying during this exchange. I wordlessly handed to phone to her, staring blankly at the wall.

"Where are you? Mom is going nuts here and its driving me up the wall," Max almost shouted into the phone. I couldn't hear the response, but it didn't seem to make her happy. It did just the opposite. I listened to Max's side of the conversation to see if I could get any clues.

"Wait you're _where_? Okay-wait-Ella…I know they do that I've been—just calm down! You said Angel and Ari are there too? Are they in the same room? No, I don't think she'll be a problem if she is in a cage…I'll come and get you right away, but I have to warn you, it takes some time even for an avian hybrid to California. I should be there by dawn," She hung up and handed my cell phone back to me without a word. I looked at her in confusion.

"Max, honey, what's going on?" I asked. She stopped in her hasty scurry up the stairs to answer me.

"Ella told me where she was and now I'm going to rescue her," she said before continuing on her way to her room.

**Ella's POV**

I curled up even tighter to shrink away from the approaching needle. It had to have been at least an inch long. The needle glinted eerily at me.

"Come on, it's just a small prick and then it doesn't hurt anymore," the man in white said gently. As his hand came closer, I grabbed it and injected the needle into his hand. He jerked it back out of the cramped cage and swore under his breath. The white coat pulled out the needle and threw it to the ground. He stormed out of the room without another word.

"Ella, I'm-," Angel tried apologizing for the thousandth time that day, but I was sick of her lies.

"Don't even start with me," I interrupted. She fell silent at once and stared at the bars of her crate. The door burst open, and Angel curled away from the light the same way I tried to avoid the needle a few minutes ago. Another white coat strode to the door of my cage and opened it. I practically fell out trying to escape, but he dragged me over to a treadmill and clipped a metal ring of some sort around my ankle.

"Start running," the intimidating white coat ordered. I immediately obeyed, running as fast as I could on the treadmill.

**Max's POV**

Evening was quickly arriving, but I managed to find a place in Texas to rest just before midnight. I didn't sleep long, just a couple hours of restless dreams in an unknown motel before taking off again. By the time I had reached California, I was exhausted and hungry. It was almost two in the morning here, but many places were still open. I tightened the straps on my traveling backpack and landed in an abandoned alleyway. The School wasn't too far from here; just a few more miles from where I stood. I didn't think I'd make it. I've had even less sleep than Mom in the past few days. I crawled into the darkest, most comfortable corner I could find and fell asleep. When I opened my eyes again, the sun was directly over me. I ran as fast as I could toward the School, keeping my head down and avoiding the large crowds headed for the beach. As I approached the entrance, I took out my cell phone to check for messages.

**1 new message**

I opened my inbox to read it.

**Fr: Ella**

**max im in the west wing plz hurry! i don't think i can run anymore**

I slipped past the security guards when they weren't looking and snuck down a dark hallway, headed west. Several white coats passed me, and as each one went by I tensed up, ready to take off on a moment's notice. None of them paid any attention to me. I kept my eyes peeled for any Flyboys that might attack. As I got closer to the west wing, fewer and fewer people passed by in the hallways until it was just me frantically dashing through each set of double doors until that was all I could see when I closed my eyes. Finally, I found a room with a door slightly open with a sign that read: DO NOT ENTER. So, I entered, ignoring the instructions on the sign. I heard the familiar sound of an electric shock, and a low moan. I listened harder; there was a faint humming nearby. As I crept through, I could feel eyes following my every move. Failed experiment surrounded me, sadly watching my attempt to rescue Ella. I finally found her running barefoot on a treadmill in a corner with an electric shocker clipped around her ankle. Every time she stopped or slowed down, it lit up and shocked her, causing her to jerk slightly and speed up again. She looked exhausted and sweaty.

"Ella, I'm here to rescue you!" I said. She smiled weakly at me, but did not slow down. I grabbed her ankle and pressed a button I had discovered on this same device not too long ago. It made a small click, and I was able to pull it off. Ella collapsed onto the floor.

"Oh, thank you," she whispered gratefully. I heard footsteps beginning to approach the doorway. and we glanced at each other. Ella skittered into a corner, but it was too late for me to hide. The footsteps were getting closer, and closer…there was only one thing left to do. My eyes flickered to the shocker in my hand.

**Fang, 3****rd**** person**

**Woof has logged on to CaptainBlindTerror's Room**

SilentFeather: is every1 here

Woof: Yep, all except for Angel, Ella, and Max

chatterbox17: that's because theyre gone! im sooo sad that max left like that without saying goodbye! you know what that means? you have to be leader now fang! everything is gonna be all different now that max ella and angel r gone.

mexicanagurlz: Max and Ella will return, trust me.

As Fang got ready to type his next message, he heard Jebb behind him. He turned around, annoyed. He shrugged.

"Hey, I'm just here to observe," he said. Fang slammed my laptop shut and strode up to him, scowling in the best way his non emotional self could.

"Look, old man," he growled, poking his chest. "Your daughters are in danger that is probably life threatening and you say you're only here to _observe_?" He threw his hands up in surrender, seeming to get his point.

"All right, I get it. But what is there to do at this point besides wait?" Jebb responded. Fang started to respond, only to realize that he was right.

"I-you're right, Jebb. Sorry about that," He nodded, accepting the mumbled apology. Fang turned back to his laptop and opened it.

CaptianBlindTerror: hey what did i miss? iggy is here with me, so if u…see something u have to tell him what u see.

Woof: nothing much. this isn't any fun without the whole flock, im outta here.

**Woof has logged off of CaptainBlindTerror's Room**

**chatterbox17 has logged off of CaptainBlindTerror's Room**

**SilentFeather has logged off of CaptianBlindTerror's Room**

**mexicanagurlz has logged off of CaptainBlindTerror's Room**

**Angel's POV**

"Max," I whispered. She didn't turn toward me in her cage. Every fiber in my being rebelled against asking her for help after she looked down upon my abilities like that, but I knew she was the only one that could help me. I tried again.

"Please let me out," I said softly, making my voice as sad as I could. Max didn't even do as much as acknowledge my existence. I gritted my teeth.

_Who needs her? I can get out on my own,_ I thought. I grabbed the bars and tried as hard as I could to bend them. Nothing happened. The door banged open, and Mr. Chu came striding up to me.

"Now listen here," he spat, glaring at me, "if you don't do what I say and bend to my will, you'll end up losing all those precious powers of yours. Including," he added, turning away, "the power of flight," Mr. Chu turned sharply on his heel and stalked out of the room as quickly as he had come. The door slammed shut behind him. I curled up even tighter in my pitifully small dog crate and tried to get some sleep. An immeasurable amount of time later, I heard Ella and Max talking. I stiffened, listening in on their conversation and their thoughts.

"Do you think that you should take Angel with you when we escape?" Ella whispered.

"I…" Max hesitated. I sensed conflict in her thoughts, and started to become convinced that I was really going to be left behind.

"We can figure that out later. Why did you let us get captured anyway, instead of trying to escape in the first place?" I dived into Ella's mind for the first time in her life, and discovered a myriad of thoughts in there. I made a note to ask Iggy about the kiss later, and to ask Ella about her new powers. If I ever got out of here.

"Don't worry, I have a plan. I know this place better than you, so we're getting out my way," Max whispered back. For a while, there was nothing but silence. I took this time to try and get comfortable in my crate and take a nap. I was exhausted and felt my legs beginning to grow numb from being in this position for so long. Before I could so much as slip off into dreamland, the door opened again. I sat up in surprise. A white coat came into the room and unlocked our cages.

"Security is much higher these days, so there's no need to keep your cage doors locked," he explained as he gave us some bread and water. "You four can freely move about this room, but you may not leave it," He left, leaving me more confused than ever. Max smirked. Her plan was apparently working. I didn't need to read her mind to know that.

**Nudge, 3d person**

"…and then I can do a makeover on her and Angel can do her nails and Ella can do her hair…this will be sooo much fun Fang!" Nudge gushed, her eyes twinkling at him. She ignored his bored and indifferent reaction and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to this!" she said into his shirt. Fang sighed.

"Can you guys move please? Dog coming through," Total said below them. He trotted by like a movie star dog and headed into Iggy's room. Fang rolled his eyes and pulled Nudge off of himself. She grinned and glanced at her laptop. New messages popped up on the screen before her eyes.

**A/N: so sick of 3****rd**** person, I'll just stick to one type of POV the rest of the story**

**Unknown POV**

"You have to tell us where they're living," the Flyboy intoned, zapping me again with his electric poker stick. I was so numb I couldn't even feel it anymore. Nor did I care. All that mattered was that I protected Max. As I slipped into unconsciousness, I knew what I had to do to gain her trust…tomorrow, I would escape. That would be the easy part, I thought sluggishly as I slipped into the blackness completely.

**Max's POV**

MaxRide: okay, is security down, nudge?

chatterbox17: yes it is, i took care of it you should be able to escape and then we can do a makeover on you and have a sleepover and stuff and have fun like usual and you can save the worl-

MaxRide: we get it now nudge! i just asked you to answer my question

chatterbox17: well try to find a way to distract the white coats so you can leave more smoothly. r you taking ari along?

MaxRide: of course, if it doesnt make fang mad

chatterbox17: hes…a little…busy *giggles*

MaxRide: what did you do to him?

chatterbox17: i think the question is what didnt i do to him? *laughs harder*

MxRide: sigh… see you soon

"Have you got the shocker?" Ella whispered to me. I nodded, silently opening the door. The coast was clear, so we started to leave the room.

**Angel's POV**

I waited until Max had opened the door, then I set my plan in action. I thought of the saddest thing that could ever happen to me, and I used that as inspiration.

"Max! Wait! I have something to tell you," I said. She stopped and turned to look at me.

"I have nothing to say to you," she said calmly before turning back to the doorway.

"But it's important," I stressed.

"All right, what?"

"My expiration date showed up a few minutes ago. I only have three days to live," I started sobbing, careful not to reveal my true emotions to Ella. I saw the slightest flicker of sadness cross Max's eyes, but she shook it off and tried to block her mind from me. But not before I noticed the one thought I was hoping her to have. As she left the room, remembered what Mr. Chu said, and realized that taking down Max was more urgent of a need than ever. The thought of losing my powers forever made me cry for real, and Ella finally caved from being loyal to Max and ran over to comfort me. I let her hug me for a few minutes while I "got my bearings" from the first part of my plan. Finally, I let a few final tears escape and my whimpers fade away. A permanent marker fell out of my pocket, and audibly rolled a few feet away. _Uh oh_, I thought. I tried to distract Ella.

"So we should try catching up to Max now," I said, keeping as calm as I could. She nodded in agreement, and together we ran after Max, yelling her name. She halted in her sneaky escape, nearly slamming into the wall. Ella glanced down at my neck and noticed the expiration date had smeared onto her hand. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but I just gave her the best innocent smile I had to offer. She blinked in confusion, so she seemed to forget what she just saw. I smirked in satisfaction as I caught up to Max.

**Jeb's POV**

_Just a few more minutes…_I thought. I checked my phone. No messages, no calls or voicemails. When was she going to call? She must be really worried. As soon as I put my cell phone back into my pocket, it rang.

"It's about time you called," I sighed in relief as a familiar voice responded.

"I'm sorry, Jeb. I've just been so worried about Ella. Is Max ready to return with her?" Ms. Martinez inquired.

"Yes, all the white coats have left the building, convinced that the area is full of poisonous gas. Believe me, it wasn't easy to convince them," I laughed.

"I was just making sure. No, Nudge! Don't play with the blender like that! You're going to-oh no…Iggy I told you, don't let her do that! The stain is never going to come out…Go clean that up. Total what are you—? Give me back my cell-"

_Your call was disconnected._

**Fang's POV**

"What the heck did you do to my face?" I demanded, staring at the mirror. Nudge's fits of lughter could be heard all over the house. I looked like a clown! After today, I'm making sure Max never lets her near Dr. M's makeup kit. If she ever returns from her mysterious vacation. I started scrubbing the horrible makeup off of my face, trying to make myself look somewhat normal before Dr. M discovered me. Unfortunately, she chose that very moment to walk into the bathroom. She took one look at my face and burst into hysterics. It was the first time she had smiled in days. I worriedly glanced at her red-rimmed eyes and stressed face as she calmed down. Her hair was in knots, lifelessly hanging to her shoulders and lacking the color and life it used to have. There were deep circles under her eyes and the extreme exhaustion sucking the life out of her normally bright and friendly features exaggerated her age slightly. She looked like a mess. I walked out of the bathroom, leaving Dr. M alone with her thoughts.

"Yo, Iggy! I think I know what we can do with that marshmallow bomb now," Gazzy was saying as I came back downstairs to resume my game with him.

"Keep talking,"

"Oh my God, Fang! What happened to you?" the Gasman gawked at me as I came into view. He whispered to Iggy an insulting, but very accurate description of what Nudge did to me. He exploded into laughter afterwards, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Seriously…Nudge…did that…to you?" he said between fits of hysterics. I blinked, and tried to change the subject.

"So what are you planning to do with that bomb, Gasman?" I asked. He snorted and chuckled.

"You tell me, clown face," he chortled, laughing with Iggy. I sighed and went back to the bathroom to wash my face off. I was never going to live this down. To make things worse, Total saw me too. He was fighting a smile on his furry face as he gazed up at me. I heard the click of a camera, and groaned. Luckily, I had gotten most of the makeup off, so Nudge didn't get the picture she was looking for. She frowned in disappointment as she looked at her digital camera.

"Darn, the light wasn't right," she muttered, examining the photo. "I'll post this on my MySpace anyway and see what people think," she skipped down the hall to her room, and by the time she came back to tell everyone what other people thought of the picture, I was in the midst of banging my head against the wall.

"Stop that, Fang!" Dr. M called from downstairs.

**Ella's POV**

"Which way is home anyway? I don't recognize anything," Max rolled her eyes and kept flying. Angel was next to me, a few feet below to my left, and Ari was keeping up the rear.

"You're part bird. Direction is instinctual," she explained to me impatiently.

"Well excuse me for not being born that way," I said without thinking. Max ground her teeth in anger, seeming to think that I was the one with the attitude lately.

"I don't want my sisters fighting up there," Ari called in his gruff Eraser voice. He sounded closer; he must be catching up to us.

"Okay, let's find a spot to land Angel looks tired," Max shouted from up ahead. I blinked in shock. It was getting dark already? I glanced at Angel and saw her expiration date. That poor kid was going to die…how should I tell Max?

**Unknown POV**

I had to be extremely careful while I followed the escapees. Ari looked over his shoulder more than once, so I knew that he was suspicious. Luckily my wings were really quiet, so nobody else noticed me. Every time Ari glanced in my direction I dived down a dozen feet or so directly beneath him so he couldn't see me at all. I listened to the conversation around me, so I could keep up with them. I followed them Max gave out an order to find a place to land. I almost groaned at the place they picked out: yet another tree. I was sick of finding branches, leaves and bark in my hair when I woke up. I slept on the ground, keeping close to Max, Angel, and Ari. The very next morning, my cover was blown by a certain seven year old mind reader.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I just remembered that the Martinez family is supposed to live in Arizona! I changed it to Georgia to erase any confusion.**

**Max's POV—the dream**

"Max! Wake up!" someone was shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see…myself. Welcome back , Max II. Suddenly, I wasn't so sleepy anymore.

"What are you doing here? I thought Itex killed off everyone else," I said, sitting up and brushing the branches out of my hair with minimal success. I gave up on that and jumped out of the branch to the ground. Max II followed me.

"I survived, with a little luck and organizing a few of your brother's bloggers. But there are more important matters at hand than how I escaped. I came here to tell you that Angel has fooled you all, even your sister, into thinking that she was forgivable. You have to destroy her, before-" Angel leaped on top of Max II and covered her mouth.

"If you say it, you'll die," she spat, slapping her. I woke up with a start.

**Max II's POV**

I let out the breath I was holding for so long. Angel struggled in Ari's grasp, but the Eraser was much stronger than her. Max woke up before I could regain control of the dream again. Only very recently I had discovered the minuscule differences between the two of us. For example, I had different powers and my wings differed slightly in color. One of the powers I happened to possess was the ability to go into people's minds and take control of what happens in a dream. At first I thought this was completely useless, until Angel ambushed me this morning.

"Thank God it was a dream," Max said, rubbing her forehead. Before I could so much as explain what I was doing in her dream, a dark and vaguely handsome bird mutant swooped in and picked me up off of the ground. I froze.

"Hey Max, I'm here to rescue you," he said, kissing me full on the lips. I numbly responded, not quite sure what was happening. His lips held so many sensations that it was impossible to resist kissing him with equal passion. After an eternity of nothing but this stranger's face, he pulled away from me. Suddenly, I recognized him.

"Fang? Is that you?" I slurred, coming back to my senses.

"Of course it's me. Don't be silly, Max. You've known me your whole life," He let go of me and let me fly free, holding nothing but my hand. As I stared at him in confusion, I slowly started to realize that he thought I was someone else. He seemed to think I was Max, the _other_ Max. _Oh no,_ I thought, helplessly glancing down at Max as we flew away. Even at his height I could clearly see her broken-hearted face staring up at me.

**Max's POV**

I watched, powerless as Fang confidently grabbed and kissed…the wrong Max. No this couldn't be right. She wasn't his! I belonged to him! Forever means forever…The kiss seemed to go on and on. And still my heart protested against this. I clenched my fists and shut my eyes. When I opened them again, they had pulled apart and Fang was doing all the talking, which was out of character for him. Max II took one brief glance at me before tearing her eyes away and looking back at Fang. I sensed Ella preparing to comfort me, but before she could I shut down all my emotions and blocked out my heart. Instead, I became the person I needed to be: Leader Max.

"Right, there seems to be a small setback," I said, turning away from Fang. "So, I think I'm leaving you behind, Angel. Ari, you can let go of her now. Leave her here to die, since this is where she'll expire," Ari shoved her away from him and she fell, landing in a small bush nearby. I glanced at her neck and nodded with the confirmation that the expiration date was a fake. The ink had smeared all over her neck, leaving a smudged black line. "Okay, let's go," I said, taking off.

**Ella's POV**

I tried again to get through to Max's emotions, and again I met a blank wall. Mom rushed to hug me as soon as we came inside, checking me all over. I let her worry take over all of my other troubles for the moment.

"Oh Ella, Max! You're both okay!" she babbled, hugging us both again. Max stiffened, and for an instant I could feel her pain. I winced at the sharp, stabbing emotion.

"Where's Fang?" Max asked in a monotone.

"Upstairs with some girl that looks just like you, why?" Mom said, completely clueless. Max stormed for the stairs, and suddenly her emotional walls started to crumble before she even got halfway there. I watched, frightened as the tears poured down her face and she curled up on the floor in abandon. She crawled to the couch and lay there for what seemed like an impossibly long amount of time. Fang came downstairs with the other Max, laughing. They held hands and Max II seemed happy. But I knew otherwise. I sifted through her feelings to discover that she was frightened and confused. Fang didn't know he had the wrong Max. They came down the stairs, and approached Mom, who stood there with a puzzled look on her face.

"Who is that?" she mouthed at me. I shrugged. Fang turned, and saw the real Max curled up on the couch. His mouth fell open with audible _pop_.

"Oh crap," he muttered, stepping away from Max II. She bit her lip, feeling guilty, awkward, embarrassed, and uncomfortable, all at the same time. I stepped away from the scene…and found myself in Iggy's arms.

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

I heard the sound of intense kissing going on behind me, and turned to find Ella and Iggy making out in the living room.

"Come in my room," Ella whispered, grabbing his hand and leading him upstairs. I felt a tug on my shoe and saw Total below me.

"Hey, where are the Beggin' Strips? I'm starving!" he said, biting my shoe. I sighed. And so my day as being a mother of seven bird children, a flying dog that talked, and the occasional visitor, began.

"Third cabinet from the oven," I said, heading into the kitchen to find the aspirin.

**Fang's POV**

I shushed Max's cries, gently rocking her in my arms. After a while, she started to calm down, but I didn't stop. My Max, my beautiful Max, has fallen apart, and it was my fault.

"Why did you kiss her?" Max asked for the hundredth time, and this time I had my answer.

"Look, it was just a mistake, okay? You two look exactly alike, and I…oh I wasn't thinking," I continued to hold her as she shook with more crying. I let her break down, knowing this was necessary for her to recover from a broken heart. Dr. M left the room, holding her head like she had a headache. Nudge sped down the stairs, followed closely by the Gasman, shouting for her to return his shoe. All around me, life continued in the Martinez household. But none of that even mattered compared to what lay right in front of me. _How could I have been so blind as to not know my own Max?_ I thought. She blinked and looked at me, coming to her senses.

"I'm sorry I…lost control like that. It won't happen again," She coughed weakly, her voice hoarse from hours of crying. Nudge hesitated at the top of the stairs, clutching her makeup kit and gazing worriedly at us. I waved for her to go back upstairs, but she shook her head and stayed put. Max stood up and headed upstairs to wash off her face, entirely ignoring Nudge.

"Nudge, its lunchtime! Go get Ella and Iggy for me, okay?" Dr. M called from the kitchen. She nodded, and ran off to find them. I took off my tear-soaked shirt and went to go find my off-black V-neck shirt that Max really liked on me. I searched through my closet, but didn't see it anywhere.

"Hey, Dr. M," I yelled. "Did you do the laundry while I was gone?" I heard a faint "No" from downstairs. I shrugged. It wasn't that big of a deal anyway. I looked even deeper into my closet, and found out that at least half of my shirts and jeans were missing. I thought I could feel someone watching me, and I spun to the window. A pair of eyes blinked, and they disappeared. I wondered briefly if Dr. M would mind if I went down to lunch shirtless, then decided it didn't matter, and just left my room the way I was. Max left her room, wearing something I have never seen her in before: a dress.

"Woah, what's the occasion?" I asked, observing the way the dress showed the curves of her waist. It was a low cut navy blue velvet, coming just above her knees, exposing her thin, muscular calves.

"Relax, drool face," she laughed. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sound. I loved the way she laughed. "Mom asked me to try this on a long time ago to see if Ella wore the same size as me. What do you think?" She spun around, showing the dress at all angles. I smiled.

"You look…beautiful," She stopped, smiling back. Her happy glow shone through to me again, even brighter than usual.

"You think I look beautiful?"

"What do you think?" I gestured to her figure. I led her to the full length mirror in Ella's room, and she gasped at her reflection.

"Wow…" For a minute, all she could do was stare. I turned her around and kissed her.

**Nudge's POV- what happens when you give her an apple**

What is taking Max and Fang so long?" I wondered out loud, going back upstairs. I stopped by Ella's room, spotting them. Fang was shirtless and kissing Max, who was in a…dress?

"Hey lunch is ready," I called, startling them.

"Should we try doing it next time?" I heard Fang whisper to Max as they followed me downstairs. I skipped and hummed on my way to the table and grabbed an apple after I sat down at my place. Ella was examining a pear and Iggy 's hand continually groped near a banana until Gazzy finally handed it to him, laughing.

"I wonder why only the orange is named after a color," I said, taking a bite of my apple. Max had an orange in her hand, questioning it.

"What's with all the fruit?" she asked, peeling it. "Not that I don't love oranges and all, but this is a pretty strange variety of fruit you selected here,"

"Maybe the orange is special!" I figured out. "Maybe it's a mutant like me! Dr. M, why is the orange called an orange?" Of course, nobody was paying attention to what seemed to them like pointless chatter, so I tried changing the subject. I finished my apple before thinking of something else to say.

"I found a penny today," I announced. Not even Iggy noticed. I took my apple core and threw it at his head.

"Ow! Hey, what the heck, Nudge?" he complained, rubbing his head.

"Now I have your attention," I smiled at him, before remembering he was blind and explaining. "I'm smiling, Iggy,"

"Well I'm not," he said sourly, frowning.

"Never let Nudge near the apples, Mom" Max called, taking a bite of her orange.

**Max's POV- a net trap and a day at the mall with the Red Haired Wonder**

I went to the sink to throw away my orange peel when I saw a small figure scurrying away from the house. I squinted, it looked a lot like Angel, but it could have also been Ari, who had mysteriously disappeared the moment he saw our house. In a moment, it was gone. I opened the kitchen door and started to head outside, suspicious of what I just saw. The orange peel had fallen to the floor in the kitchen, but I took no notice. I searched through the yard, and found nothing but a feather identical to the one I had found less than a week ago. We were being watched

_Correction: you're being guarded,_ the Voice interjected.

_From what?_ I countered I got no answer. Of course. A streak of blonde and white flashed by, and I had a brief view of Angel scurrying into the shadows.

"Come and find me, Max," she said in her sweet voice, laughing. I took a step forward, and felt a branch snap underneath me.

_Look out_, the Voice warned. I leapt backwards, and in the same second a net trap sprung, tangling itself into knots at my feet. I heard more laughter coming from nowhere, it seemed. Angel had been trying to set up a trap for me, but it didn't work. I survived yet another of her tricks. I ran back inside before anything else could happen.

"Nudge, stop throwing apples!" Iggy yelled, shaking out his wings. I sighed, knowing I'd have to get involved. Nudge picked up a banana, preparing to launch it at his head. I poked my head into Mom's room, finding her fast asleep with a half empty glass of water and a bottle of pills on her night stand. I quietly closed her door. Nudge froze; the banana was still in her hand. Iggy had picked up a bruised apple and was ready to chuck it in Fang's direction. Cards were everywhere. Some had even stuck to Total's fur. He started laughing quietly to himself at Ella's expression. I went back outside, wondering briefly why Angel had decided to spy on us in the front yard, when suddenly I felt someone yank me off to the side.

"Max, what a pleasant surprise!" Lissa squealed, jumping up and down with joy. When she finally calmed down, she noticed what I was wearing. "Oh my gosh what are you _wearing_? Did Fang put that on you? Oh my gosh you totally need a makeover with that! Come on!" She dragged me over to a local mall. I watched in confusion as she went through what looked like a normal door, but it was a bunch of spinning doors. I followed her, but got trapped in the door, going around and around…

_What the heck?_ I thought, nearly getting a wing tangled in my hair as I stumbled out of that glass death trap. I pulled my wings back in before anyone could notice.

_That's a revolving door, Max,_ the Voice supplied.

_Well I hate it! I could have gotten killed in that thing._

"Come on, let's go," Lissa said, pulling me forward again.

"I can walk," I snapped, yanking my arm back. She lead me to a cosmetics store, and I was starting to regret trying on Ella's dress that she wore to the Spring Fling at her school more and more by the second.

**Fang's POV**

"I'm checking the blog comments," I muttered, shuffling out of the room to avoid the fruit fight that Nudge had initiated for attention. Dr. Martinez came out of her room, shouting at them to be quiet because she had a headache like you wouldn't believe, the neighbors were complaining, that kind of talk. I continued on upstairs, passing Total, who was jumping on Max's unused bed. The radio was on its maximum volume, playing some song by Selena and the Scene. Total was singing along at the top of his lungs. I chuckled, thinking that this moment might be blog worthy. I finally reached my room and opened my laptop. I read the new comments:

**I_Kissed_Fang: **Heey Fang I read your blog for the first time yesterday and I LOVED it. I miss you sooo much…by the way you might be missing some clothes! I had to get proof for my friends so they know that I know where you live! *giggles*

_That is creepy…_I thought. I moved on to the next comment.

**supporttheflock!:** that's great that max came back, but how did ella become an avian hybid like you? i dont get it…i thought she was human! dude that is freaky about angel, though. shes soo evil! I hate her so much! she should go die! or at least leave the flock. oh wait she already did. well i hope she never goes back!

**the gassinator: **yo its ur turn to do the dishes, blog boy

When I finally turned off my laptop, I realized that I had stayed up all night reading the comments on my blog. I yawned, ready to get some sleep. As I drifted off into dream land, I thought I could see a shadow approaching my bed, getting closer, closer…I felt something hard and solid hit my head and then there was nothing but darkness.

**Max II's POV**

I ran up to the Eraser, tapping his big shoulder frantically. He turned, looking annoyed.

"What is it now, Maxinator?" That was my new full name now, so that others can tell us apart.

"Check your computer," I said, pointing up in the tree. He clumsily jumped into the air and unfurled his wings. Ten minutes later, he returned to where I waited.

"Where's Fang?" he asked in his gruff, impatient voice. I shrugged.

"How should I know? Maybe he's in the bathroom,"

"I checked on all the cameras, he's not in the house,"

"Out for a fly?" I asked hopefully. Ari shook his morphed wolf head. I bit my lip concernedly. Where could he be? We were supposed to be protecting the flock, and now we had lost a member.

**Angel's POV**

Fang groaned, finally coming around. I tied the ropes tighter, making sure the knots couldn't come undone. I took off the blindfold.

"Just don't scream," I told him when he opened his eyes. He let out a small squeak when he noticed how high we were, and a smaller one when he saw where he was tied up.

"Max should be here any minute," I said to myself, posting the picture of the trapped Fang on his blog.


	10. Chapter 10

**Me: So I own almost none of this except for the plot and wonderful creativity…**

**Ella: You forgot something. What am I doing here anyway?**

**Me: *whistles* I don't know…go ask Iggy!**

**Iggy: Not cool man! Who threw me out of my bed?**

**Me: That would be me!**

**Ella: Hi Iggy!  
**

**Iggy: Ella? Is that you? Where are we?**

**Me: Welcome to mysterywriter94's hangout!**

**Ella: Great…THIS again. Just get to the story, all right? I have homework to be doing and-**

**Me: -throws textbook out window- No you don't! It's the middle of summer!**

**Iggy: What was that?**

**Me: Be quiet! I'm typing here!**

**Max's POV**

I woke up with a start. Where was I? Where am I? I groggily lifted my head, briefly wondering why it hurt so much before trying to come to my senses. I didn't recognize the couch I had been laid on, so possibly I was kidnapped by Flyboys or something. Ugh, my head hurt like crazy, though. It made it nearly impossible to think. I wasn't tied up, or covered in bruises and cuts, so that ruled out actually fighting the Flyboys. There was no duct tape on my mouth or wings, so I wasn't kidnapped either. I sat up, and the room was spinning uncomfortably. The place was a mess. Half filled bottles littered the table in front of me, and empty punch cups were scattered along the floor.

_What the…?_ I shook my head, trying to remember what happened after Lissa had convinced me to come to a party that was happening at her house. The first non-mutant party in existence. I remembered a drink being shoved into my hand, and another, and another, and then things got fuzzy and strange from there? Did I see a talking penguin named Harold telling me to save the world from mutant fuzzy bears and winged cats? I winced at the pain of my throbbing head. This was nothing compared to the grenade brain-splattering headaches I got just before the unwelcome Voice came into my life. But it still hurt a lot, like hammers banging nails on the inside of my skull.

_Voice, report what happened,_ I thought, working on not vomiting all over Ella's favorite dress.

_Basically that red-haired girl brought you to her house and got you drunk, but not before she gave you a makeover that made every male life form in here think the word 'sexy' more than once. I don't need a mind reader to know that._

Normally I would have responded with more, but my churning stomach and aching temples wouldn't let me think more than a few incoherent thoughts at a time.

"Drunk?" I said stupidly as Lissa entered the room with a glass of water. I downed it quickly, hoping there was still such thing as aspirin as I set the cup down on the only empty space left on the table.

"Glad you're awake, Max," she said tiredly, rubbing her forehead. "I'm so sorry about that. I told them not to get you drunk, but they were so convinced it would loosen you up. You seem so tense all the time, I thought a party might do you some good," She handed me a bottle of pills. "Here's some aspirin. Take only as many pills as you need," She left the room, leaving me alone.

"How many do I need to take…" I wondered, thinking about the basics I knew of over the counter drugs Mom had educated me on. Considering I qualified as "adult" with my sped up growth, I swallowed…four pills.

_Tell me what happened last night before you witness me throwing up,_ I said to the Voice.

_Do you really want to know?_ it responded, avoiding the question. I was given quick flashes of a karaoke machine, a microphone, a song, but it all went by too fast for me to make sense of it.

_Just show me if you don't want to tell me,_ I grumbled in my head, clutching my stomach. I thought I heard I sigh, and I was shown brief memories of me claiming I had wings and super powers, testing my strength against half of the party guests, and crazily calling out a song dedication to Fang before singing something about…then the memory blacked out.

_You passed out on stage,_ the Voice told me. I would have answered, but at that point I was too busy throwing up onto the carpet. Lissa ran into the room.

"Not that carpet!" she moaned. I did some moaning of my own, and promptly threw up onto her shoes.

**Ella's POV**

"You don't have opposable thumbs, Total. How are you holding up the cards?" I said, glancing at my watch again. It was getting late into the afternoon and Max still wasn't home. I had to make up at least five excuses to Mom why Max couldn't talk to her at the moment. Luckily she was at work, so I didn't have to do that anymore.

"I'm a mutant dog, I don't _need_ opposable thumbs," he stressed, examining the cards he had laid out. "Hey, what goes on a black jack?" I sighed, not interested in his solitaire game. For the millionth time, I checked the chat room. Nobody was logged in. I couldn't resist anymore, so I logged in myself and decide to rant a little about how I really felt when I ran away, and what still lingered in my mind.

**Gazzy's POV- invasion of the needles**

**undergirl is typing…**

_This can't be good,_ I thought.

**undergirl is still typing…**

_What the heck?_ I squinted to make sure I wasn't seeing things.

**undergirl is STILL typing…**

I sighed, wondering if that girl ever took her hands off that keyboard. Iggy walked into my room, seeming bored.

"Hey, remember that bomb we made a while back?" he asked, holding his hands behind his back awkwardly. I started to answer him.

"Well yeah, but what are you…"

_Ding! New message!_

"Hold on a sec, Ella sent something," I said, turning back to the computer. "Oh…crap,"

undergirl: Hello? Is anyone on? Doesn't matter. I'm typing this anyway. What was the point of me even coming back? I had my reasons for leaving like I did, but it looks like nobody took the hint. Remember the pineapple pizza? The confusing card game? How about the time you all just took off to the movies without me, after you promised I could join you? And when I did get there and find my seat, I didn't even get the chance to sit next to Max, Fang…anyone! What about when I tried taking the time to know you? But then Max had to "save the world" again and flew off with you guys, leaving me, a mere human, alone with my normal mother. But then she left to, to help YOU guys. Why don't you go back to that lab, where you belong? I don't belong, even as a mutant. I'm useless, confused, and too late. In the meantime, go find your leader Max. She has gone missing. So have Fang and Angel. It's only a matter of time before all the rest of you are gone too. And good riddance, too! But not Iggy. He should stay. Because he's blind. And it would be too dangerous for him to go out like that. But anyway just go! Leave me out of…whatever, because that's what will happen anyway. I don't why I took that stuff anyway. I felt more natural as a human. It was the only thing I knew. Now, I feel different and strange, like I don't belong in the world I grew up in. Oh wait…is that how you guys feel? Out of place, unnatural? Being born in a lab and being tested like that must get to you. All of you. Even the dog. Gosh, I never realized how it was for you…oh and by the way, there are robots on the way right this moment as we speak. You may want to run, or fight, or whatever it is you guys do. Oh my gosh, I don't know how to fight! Who am I kidding I'll never be like the flock! Why didn't anyone teach me how to

**undergirl has logged off of Public Chat room **

Woof: …

**Woof has logged off of Public Chat room**

**Max's POV**

"Thanks for diving me home, Lissa. I know you _miss_ Fang, but he would like to have his clothes back that went to the 'dry cleaning'," I held out my hand for the nine shirts and two pairs of pants she had "borrowed" from his closet. After receiving all the missing clothing articles, I started up the driveway, prepared for anything…but two Flyboys attacking me as soon as I got through the door, injecting a needle into my arm. That last part made no sense, but I didn't even have the time or energy to question it. The last thing I saw before my eyes slid shut was Ella, Total, Gazzy, and Iggy lying on the floor, breathing shallowly.

**Fang's POV**

I was set free, but then injected with more mysterious liquid by Angel before I was allowed to escape.

"It's not working quickly enough for him…" I heard her say to someone as I dive bombed off the water tower, flinging out my wings as fast as I could. I briefly wondered what was put in me, and still didn't have an answer when I started feeling really warm as I got close to home.

**Max II's POV- somewhere in the southern hemisphere**

I kicked down the door and looked around. It was pretty typical for a small burned down shack, except for one thing. Mr. Chu's hideout was here somewhere. The snow came down harder, and my teeth started chattering uncontrollably. The holes in the roof were not helping my search. I hoped Ari was fine…where ever he was. I slapped myself in order to stay focused. I crouched to the ground and felt for the trapdoor. It didn't take long. I had memorized the map Ari had given me weeks ago. The handle had a lock, of course. It had rusted so much that it disintegrated the moment I picked it up. I scrambled to open the trapdoor, but it opened up under my feet and before I knew it I was falling down a hole. My wings were too large to open out here, so I was subjected to landing very hard on the ground in some unknown room. I scrambled to my feet and skidded into the shadows, hoping nobody had noticed my entrance. Mr. Chu was across the room, facing away from me, toward the wall. He was on the phone, and I had no choice but to listen. As he talked, he paced back and forth, his face full of serious confidence.

"Now to access her mind…well to control it, isn't that what you wanted, Director? I have the computer in front of me. I've already thought about how I'm going to distract the others during this process. The drugs should be in effect in minute now, although that older boy was a little stubborn to react to them…oh what do they do? Just a few symptoms from several well-known diseases...I basically made a disease that will completely confound the doctors. Director, does it matter if they survive? Besides…they have super immune systems or something. They'll only stay sick for so long. Yes, I checked the warnings. No…but they'll be fine…not too deadly. I'll see you Monday," He hung up. A few feet away from me was a table, and I recognized the drugs sitting there. I read the labels in surprise as I went through them.

"Xcilliana, Deracellan, Velia, Barinde…what is he planning?" I exclaimed, nearly dropping a bottle. I took one of each empty container and found another way out of the hideout. I crawled though the small space and into total darkness that even a bird kid couldn't see through.

**Fang's POV**

Fighting the sudden haze that overwhelmed me, I collapsed into bed and fell asleep. I have never been so tired in my entire life.

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

Yet another exhausting say at work has come to an end. I had to remind myself more than once an hour that I loved my job and that this is what I always wanted to do for a living. Still, none of that prevented me from being relieved of finally driving home. I checked my cell phone to see of Ella had called. No voicemails, text messages, pictures, or anything. That worried me slightly. She usually called by now. I unlocked the front door…

**Max's POV**

Everyone, even Ella and Total, woke up to the sound of Mom putting her key into the lock. I nudged Ella, and she stood up at once. We all felt fine, not even a scratch on us from the Flyboy invasion. I hurriedly grabbed a deck of cards and started dealing them. Everyone else perked up and came to the table just as Mom came inside. She seemed relieved that we were all doing fine.

"Ella, why didn't you call?" she asked, taking off her lab coat. Ella hesitated.

"W-we were a little busy at the moment," she stuttered, looking at me for back up. I nodded in agreement, keeping my eyes on my cards. Everything was pretty normal, despite the fact that Angel had disappeared off the face of the earth. So why did I feel like something bad was about to happen?


	11. Chapter 11

**Me: So…I don't own the characters, JP does, and he's AWESOME.**

**Ella: Please let me go.**

**Iggy: I know what will make you feel better. –starts making out with Ella-**

**Fang: Where's Max? **

**Me: You're supposed to be asleep, dude. Get back to bed!**

**Fang: Fine…-stalks back into my story-**

**Me: Wow 30 reviews! What an accomplishment! I guess to thank you guys for being so supportive, I can extend the chapter a little longer than my standard length.**

**Fang's POV**

All I asked for was a good night's sleep, and possibly a few fantasies about Max admitting her love to me. Instead, I tossed and turned in my bed. I think I must have sweat a gallon of water in the past couple hours. My face was on fire. No, everything was on fire. More than once I woke up and had to drink probably ten cups of water just to keep myself from passing out with dehydration. On my third pass down the hallway, I was stopped. For some reason, Max happened to be up at 3 in the morning too.

"Fang, what are you doing up in the middle of the night?" she whispered, trying not to wake up anyone else. I rubbed my eyes, finally starting to feel the sleepless night catch up to me.

"I got thirsty," I pushed past Max to go downstairs, but before I could take another step forward, she blocked my path again.

"I heard you earlier. You got up at least twice tonight because you were 'thirsty', as you say. I'm no doctor or _white coat_," she mouthed the last part, and continued talking in her customary don't-wake-up-the-flock whisper, "but that doesn't sound normal to me, even for a bird kid mutant," I didn't want Max to worry about me, so I didn't say anything. After a minute, she huffed with impatience and stalked back down to the couch. Her footsteps were whisper-quiet as they descended the newly carpeted stairs, but I could still tell the exact moment when she reached the living room and collapsed onto the couch. Suddenly, I felt tired again, and crawled back into bed in an attempt to get some sleep, hoping things would be normal by the next morning.

**Max's POV**

The second I heard Fang's door close I sat up and ran a hand through my tangled hair. Of course I knew something was up with Fang Since I didn't have my adorable, but irritating, mind reader to do the work for me, I had to find out on my own. The only way to do that would be to make a deal with the Nudge Channel.

The next morning, I cornered her after breakfast as Mom went to work. I explained to her my suspicions about Fang, and she listened without interrupting, for once. When I finished my story, I gave her the chance to talk.

"Okay I'll help, but this means you're going to have to do something for me, Max. I know! You can help me put on this musical that Angel and I watched once, and the whole Flock can get involved! Don't worry; I'll give you a small part if you want so you don't have to do too much talking or singing, but still, you _have_ to do this for me. Promise?" Her Bambi eyes sparkled up at me, and I knew I had no choice.

"Fine…" I muttered, knowing I wouldn't enjoy that disaster one bit.

"What is it you want me to do?" Nudge asked eagerly. I leaned toward her ear and quickly whispered the plan I came up with. It involved a little foul play in the chat room, Ella's journal, and possibly a bomb or two from Gasman. If everything went smoothly, none of those things would have to be used. Just one dose of Bambi eyes and he'll cave into her request, however extreme it may be.

**Angel's POV**

**MR2 is online. Do you wish to log on and chat?**

I quickly closed out of the window, my breath coming fast. She could already know about the plan. If she knew, it would be too late. But I couldn't let him know it was too late. There was only one thing left to do. I opened the chat room window again and started typing.

valentine34: …max? is that really you?

MR2: umm…yes and no

valentine34: huh? i can hear a mind outside…

MR2: its me, maxinator. that's my full name, not something lame like maximum.

valentine34: max 2? oh okay phew i thought you were-never mind.

MR2: listen, I have something i need to tell max, get her to come online

valentine34: …i don't speak with her anymore

MR2: r u even in the house?

valentine34: nope

MR2: …

valentine34: …bye

**valentine34 has logged off of Chatroom A**

**MaxRide has logged on to Chatroom A**

MaxRide: yo, who is this?

MR2: i think you know very well who, maximum ride

MaxRide: er…my voice?

MR2: whatever that means, no. its me, maxinator. aka, the other max.

MaxRide: oh hey hows it going?

MR2: its going fine, if you like watching the front of the house constantly and going three days without anything to eat whatsoever plus the constant worry that youre being watched by the enemy or that you might be sitting in a trap or something

MaxRide: relax a little, as long as im here nobody needs to be doing any guarding. so whats up? you must have some kind of a reason for coming here other than just dropping by

MR2: look I need to tell you something max

MaxRide: shoot gotta go, hang in there

**MaxRide has logged off of Chatroom A**

**Ella's POV**

"Hey Iggy," I said sleepily, smiling at him. I tiptoed by his neck and kissed him. Nobody was watching, so I kissed him again.

"Best good morning greeting ever," Iggy said, grinning at me. "I'm going outside, wanna come?"

"My wings could use a stretch. I'll be out in five minutes," I promised, running upstairs to get dressed. I snatched my new jacket I got at the mall, which had hidden slits for my wings in it. They can only be seen if you actually tried looking for them. Instead of spending twenty minutes trying to find something to wear, I grabbed a shirt I borrowed from Nudge and pulled it on; along with a pair of skinny jeans Mom bought me several weeks ago. I leapt down the stairs three at a time and managed to jump over Gazzy and somersault into the living room. In three long strides I made it to the door. As I pulled it open, Iggy started though the doorway. I yanked him back.

"Ever heard of ladies first?" I said. He rolled his eyes. I went out onto the driveway and shrugged off my jacket, letting it drop to the ground. Gazzy came outside, closing the door behind him. His eyes popped out at the sight of the low cut shirt and the jacket sitting on the concrete.

"Woah, Ella where did you _get_ that shirt?" he whispered in interest, staring at me in a way that was making me slightly uncomfortable. I sighed and put my jacket back on. Boys were all the same. Except for Iggy. He was different. In the few months I have come to know him, he already knew me as well as Max or Fan or any of the others he had spent his whole life with. The Gasman seemed to get the hint and went back inside.

"I can't wait to see more shirts like that," Iggy said earnestly.

"What was that?" I gave him my best death glare; a trick I had learned from Max. But I knew where she got it from: Mom. Like mother, like daughter.

"I didn't say anything," Iggy replied innocently. Comprehension swept though him after a moment of silence. He glared at the door and muttered something about getting revenge on the Gasman. I took a running leap into the air, shouting for Iggy to follow me. He nodded, and took off after me, flinging out his wings at just the right moment. For a few minutes, I just enjoyed the glorious feeling of flying. For once, I finally belonged.

"So, I heard Mom on the phone a few weeks ago talking about registering you guys for school. Do you think that's a good idea?" I let Iggy flank me and give a chance to answer. I dipped down ten feet, sharply pulling out of the dive and performing a perfect back flip.

"After the last school experience, I don't think education is one of my priorities,"

"Well, Mom won't be happy with that answer, but I'll try to get her to understand," I checked my waterproof watch for the time. 9:45 a.m. _Even Nudge would be awake by now_, I thought. I turned around and started back toward home.

"I'm going back," I called. "I think the mail is in, and a few chores need to be done," Neither were true, because it was Sunday, but I started feeling strange. Like a fever was coming on or something. It was probably something I ate.

**Ari's POV**

I stormed into the School, prepared for a fight. This time, Jeb would not be able to ignore me. I morphed into a full Eraser and kicked the double doors open. Time for a family reunion.

**Max's POV**

I paced the hall, back and forth, back and forth. I was on my fourth pass past Fang's room when the door opened, and Nudge came out at last, a grim expression on her face. She looked so different without the usual bouncy happiness surrounding her.

"What's he hiding?" I whispered.

"Fang is sick. Really sick," she replied gravely. This surprised me. We hardly ever got sick, if at all, it lasted only a few days, and it would only be a minor cold or twenty-four hour bug. But if Nudge is insisting that he's really sick, then something must be wrong. I went into Fang's room. He was leaning over, throwing up onto the carpet. I ran to his side and felt his forehead. Ouch! I pulled my hand back. He was really hot! He finally came up for air, gasping for a minute or two.

"Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? I could have gotten Mom," His forehead had a sheen of sweat, and so did the rest of his face and upper body. That was when I noticed he didn't have a shirt on. I sat down on the bed. He panted some more.

"I didn't want you to-" Fang broke into a coughing fit.

"-worry?" I finished for him. "Of course you didn't. If you're not better by Wednesday, I'm getting Mom involved," He almost smiled, and I left the bedroom in silence. As I descended the stairs, I nearly tripped over Total, who was simply sitting there, waiting for something.

"Any second now," he muttered, staring at the clock on the wall. It said that it was almost ten in the morning. The front door opened, and Ella came inside. She immediately headed for the kitchen. I wasn't all that surprised. Our calorie intake needs to be insanely high just to prevent ourselves from starving to death. I could have sworn out of the corner of my eye she grabbed a thermometer Mom kept in there for emergencies.

"What the heck are you doing?" I demanded, gazing at Total. He didn't answer, just kept his eyes glued on the cuckoo clock. Suddenly, when the hour struck ten, the bird came out and tweeted in his face ten times, then retracted back into the clock. He burst into laughter, rolling all over the stairs like it was a giant mud puddle.

"Oh my gosh that was too funny!" he chortled, tears rolling down his face. "Gasman and I added an extension onto that bird so it would come out further, and it turned out perfectly. Hahaha!" He laughed some more, seeming unable to stop. Iggy ran inside at this moment, looking around frantically.

"Ella, where are you? I didn't hear you come inside," he called.

"She's in the kitchen," I said, entering the dining room. I grabbed a banana and peeled it. Ella was holding the thermometer in her mouth, staring at her watch. After thirty seconds she pulled it out. Her eyes widened and she dropped the thermometer. The glass shattered, alerting Iggy to the kitchen.

"Ella, what happened?" he exclaimed, jumping over the glass with greater ease than a person that could see. Fear sparked into his eyes as he waited for her answer.

"I-I don't know how I got t-that sick," Ella stuttered, her eyes so wide that I could see the whites all around.  
"G-Go get M-Mom. I'm going to lie down," Total finally calmed down to join us.

"Hey, what's up?" He ginned at me, seeming not to see my worried face. I went to clean up the thermometer mess. Luckily, none of the red liquid had spilled out so I could read what her temperature was. I knew that we were warmer than humans, at least a ten degrees difference. But the number I saw was abnormal even for us. My temperature usually ran between 105 and 106. I squinted at the tiny black niches on the glass. 115…116…117…118! That's almost the boiling point for water! I only knew that from a cooking channel that Iggy listened to all the time. I finished clearing up the tiny pieces of glass and threw them away along with the thermometer.

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella!_

I knew the call was important, but I was in the middle of performing liver surgery on a duck, and my hands were covered in blood. And of course there were no paper towels. Two hours later, I had another urgent patient.

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella!_

I sighed, trying to ignore the calls coming in until lunch break.

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella!_

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella!_

_Ring! Incoming call from Ella!_

"Okay fine!" I shouted, startling the co-workers in the room. One of them looked up from her clipboard.

"Is everything all right, Valencia?" she asked.

"Yeah…let me take this call" I muttered, pulling out my cell phone. I went out into the hall. My phone rang again, and I answered it this time.

"What?" I growled. There was a slight pause.

"We seem to have a problem," Iggy said. As he explained that Ella was extremely ill, and that he found out that Fang had it first, and Gazzy was starting to feel a little off, my eyes widened, and I gasped. I have never heard of an illness that spread so quickly, with a fever close to the boiling point, literally. His voice choked off temporarily as he started coughing violently. When he came back, I was hit with another shock.

"You may want to hurry…" Iggy said in a broken whisper. "I think I just coughed up blood. A lot of it," I slammed my cell phone shut and strode back into the room.

"Laura, you cover for me for the day. I have a family emergency," I announced, grabbing my purse and leaving as I spoke.

**Ari's POV**

"I'm, sorry, but Jeb is unavailable at the moment. You may want to try Friday, he will be in town then," The assistant slammed the door in my face. I growled. This was the third time that this had happened. Jeb chooses to go out of the country a few days before I show up just to get away from his only son. I kicked the door and paced the hallway. Then he remembered that Jeb did tell him about this, and even where he was going. He felt for the airplane tickets in his jacket pocket and smiled. Good thing I had a Plan B.

**Angel's POV**

I had never been more afraid in my life, not even when I was kidnapped and taken to the School. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak or shout for help or wave my arms. Yet my body was doing things on its own. I was being controlled by…somebody. But who? I watched helplessly as I opened a door I did not want to open, and started down a hallway I thought I would never stand in ever again. I opened another door, and there they were. Fang was on his bed, asleep. Max whispered words of comfort to him, and turned to see who had come in. I watched as she took the sight of me in. Everything seemed to happen slowly. She stood up, ran to hug me, and I just stood there stiffly, my body not reacting.

"Oh, Angel, you're back," she said, hugging me tighter. My arms pushed her back. Was not my action. And my mouth spoke words that were not mine, either.

"Max, I'm not here to stay," I heard myself say dully. "I was here to see how the experiment was going," Experiment? Who the heck was in my head? I struggled to read the vibe that had taken over, but it felt blank, like a ghost was inside me. I tried again and again to regain control, but nothing happened. I was trapped inside my own body.

"What experiment?" I heard Max ask. I felt myself roll my eyes in annoyance.

"The sickness, of course," I pointed at Fang.

"You did this?" she breathed.

"Not directly, but I was instructed to keep an eye on the results to see the…results,"

"Explain," Max growled, "before I kill you,"

"I'm not authorized to,"

"Yeah, right,"

"Mr. Chu himself told me,"

"You're working for _Mr. Chu?_" She sneered his name like it was a dirty word. I backed out of the room.

"I need to go, it was nice to see you again, but I still have to be leader. Max. Remember that," I reminded her. Just days ago, I would have said that myself, but something along the lines of being controlled would have stopped me now. I tried to change my body's expression, to plead with my eyes, plead for help, but my eyes remained cold and hard. I had to use my mind the best I could.

_Help me,_ I thought into Max's brain. And then the last of my control was gone. I was officially a prisoner in my own head.

**Nudge's POV**

I skipped down the hall, and noticed everyone except for Total and Max were gone. I stopped just in front of the stairs and looked down. Nobody was in sight.

"Where is everybody?" I asked out loud. Max sat down next to me with Total in her lap, her eyes worried as usual. She worried about the flock too much. Sometimes I wished Max would see that we were all fine and just took a break from being our leader.

"Everyone is getting sick, Nudge. Are you feeling sick?" She felt my forehead. Her hand was cold. I jumped back at her freezing hand.

"That's cold!" I complained, shivers running down my spine. Max's forehead creased with worry. She touched my face again.

"You're very warm, Nudge. Go lie down until Mom gets here," I coughed, and nodded. I was starting to feel sleepy anyway. Maybe this will all go away with a nap and some water. By the time I had reached my room I was too tired to even take out my Ipod. I was asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

I drove home as fast as I could, nearly getting stopped for a speeding ticket by the time I was a few miles away from the familiar driveway. The police got distracted by another issue, so I continued on my way. I parked the car, slammed the door shut and sprinted to the front door. I fumbled with the key and unlocked the door, bursting into the house.

"Max? Where are you?" I shouted, panting for breath. I heard a weak reply from the stairs, and I nearly tripped trying to hurry to Max. There she lay, almost unconscious on the top step. Total licked her face over and over, trying to cool her down. I brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead.

"I need water," Max whispered dryly, trying to sit up. I pushed her back to keep her still.

"I'll get you some water in a minute. How did this happen? Iggy told me everything, but I don't see how it's possible to have a disease spread so quickly, and so suddenly," Max struggled to string her words together, and I had to lean in to hear her.

"Angel…returned…told me that…it's a…experiment…Mr. Chu won't let her explain why…" Her voice faded into something barely more than a hoarse whisper. She fell asleep, her face relaxing within moments. I picked her up and carried her down to the couch, knowing that's where she preferred to sleep. I took out my cell phone and dialed a number I unfortunately had learned to be familiar with.

"Hello?" Jeb's relaxed voice floated to me as if coming from a tunnel. That man was always in some mysterious location in some kind of undercover mission for the Director.

"Jeb Baldetcher, I need your help. All the kids are sick, and I can't do this alone. Bring Ari along if you have to, and that weird clone of yours. I'll need all the assistance I can get. I've never seen a situation this serious before," I hoped I didn't sound too desperate, because I was desperate. And by the looks of Max, I have to be. If I didn't do something, this could get worse very quickly.

"Valencia, I'm busy at the moment," he hedged, sounding hesitant and conflicted.

"I know you want to help. Make up your mind before your precious bird kids are overwhelmed by the fever," I snapped, hanging up. I knew him well enough to know how he would react. The only question was, would he get here in time to help?

**Max II's POV**

I woke up with a start. My watch was vibrating, meaning my alarm had gone off several times. I turned it off and blearily looked around. _Shoot_, I thought. It was almost noon! I overslept! Before I could so much as do an up and away, Jeb's voice came through the watch speaker.

"Maxinator, you have a mission. A baby sitting mission," he instructed. "This requires leaving your post, so don't panic. I'll make sure no Flyboys come by to take any of the flock members. They're all ill, so you need to attend to their needs,"

"Uh...okay, but what about Ari?" I asked, jumping down from the tree.

"He will be here soon. He was about to board a plane to come after me, but I sent him back, explaining why we couldn't meet. Anyway, I'll be there by dusk to assist you two. Try to get along, _please_," He signed off, leaving me with my thoughts. Max and the others were sick, huh? This was not just a coincidence. The front door was open, for some strange reason. I let myself into the house like I owned the place. Max was on the couch, asleep. A woman was near her with a thermometer, sticking it into her mouth.

"Hey, Jeb sent me. Is it cool if I raid your fridge?" I said. The woman nodded without looking up. She seemed used to strange happenings around here. She would have to be, for later on. I shrugged and headed for the kitchen. I knew I would freak her out how well I knew the place, but that would be least of my problems. Six hot dogs and four bananas later, I explored the upstairs. The first door to the left was a bathroom, and the next led to a girl's room. I didn't recognize the girl. She was awake, her breathing labored. Her clothes were strewn across the room, and she was wearing nothing but a white tank top and denim shorts. She was soaked with her own sweat, and her hair was plastered to her forehead. I noticed that her hair was messily pulled back into a pony tail. Her head snapped up when she heard he come in, and she seemed to recognize me. In that moment, I remembered her, too.

"Max," she whispered.

"Hey, I know you. You're Max's sister," I said at the same time. "And they call me Maxinator now, to clear any confusion," She nodded, accepting this.

"My name is Ella. Do you know what's happening to us?"

"No. I was scarcely told anything," I fingered the bottle in my pocket. "But I do know this. You were drugged by somebody as a distraction from something else going on," The girl Ella blinked, uncomprehending.

"Well what else is going on that we're not supposed to know about?"

"Angel is being controlled by somebody I don't know that well. Maybe Max would know her," I said thoughtfully.

"Give me the name, maybe I know who they are," Ella panted, her face beginning to pale. I recognized the way she clutched her stomach and leaned over. Ari was like this for weeks after he got his wings, or so he told me. As she bent over further, I saw her wings shake out slightly. The feathers looked wilted and soaked with sweat. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she shoved me aside to get to the bathroom. A feather floated to the floor, silver and white. It sparkled faintly in the dim lighting. A second later, she violently threw up. I winced at the resulting splattering sound. Footsteps clattered up the stairs and onto the tile in the bathroom. I heard whispering.

"I'll get you some water, just hang in there, Ella," the voice said. It sounded maternal, and loving. More than that, it was traced with worry and concern. I realized that the woman was her mother. I casually strolled downstairs after her. I followed the sound of running water to find Ella's mother. She paid no attention to me, just watched the water swirl around in the cup as she turned the tap off. That was when she noticed me standing there, and how much I looked like Max.

"You look just like Max," she commented, carefully carrying the cup upstairs. I was right at her heels, wanting to know her name.

"My full name is Maxinator, not Maximum," I stressed. She took the cup into the bathroom where Ella was. She handed the glass of water to Ella.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to introduce ourselves earlier," she apologized, her eyes sad all of the sudden. "I'm Dr. Martinez, the mother of Ella and Max. I just happen to be taking care of several other children as well," Her eyes were kind and sincere. I could understand why she was a mom. Her cell phone rang, and she answered it as Ella threw up again.

"Are you almost here? Good. You said you sent Ari? Right…I'll get the door. See you at sunset," She hung up and went to the front door. She greeted Ari, and I heard him mumble something that was hard to here. She asked him to repeat himself, and I heard him say his name. Dr. Martinez told him to come inside, and the door closed. I heard coughing several doors down, along with a boy's voice. I followed the source of the noise to find…Iggy coughing up blood onto his bed sheets. He seemed to have trouble breathing, so I ran to support him. And so began my long day trying to cure the Mutant Hybrid Illness.


	12. Chapter 12

**Max's POV**

I felt an ice cold hand touch my face and I twisted away from the stranger's touch. The hand was rough and slightly furry, like a…Eraser? Or a dog, maybe. I shuddered and felt a chill shiver down my spine. I didn't need to be colder than I already was. I slowly opened my eyes and looked around, disoriented. I was in a large forest with dark pine trees poking into the evening sky like leafy spears. The night was cool, and a breeze gently blew my tangled hair back out of my face and kept it there. I discovered that I was wearing my usual travel-type clothes: torn jeans covered in dirt and the occasional spattered gore, a white T-shirt in the same condition, and ripped up tennis shoes. Every sound seemed to be magnified, and when I stepped on a branch, it sounded like a gunshot in the dead silence. I could sense that Fang was out there somewhere, in danger. I started running as fast as I could in the direction of a faint cry. A few seconds later, I came out into a clearing. My mother, Dr. Valencia Martinez, ran to greet me.

"Oh Max, it's horrible!" she cried. "They…they…I just have to show you!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me to where Fang lay face down. His back was seeping blood and was exposed all the way to the muscle. His wings had been ripped out of his skin. I gagged in horror. The blood pooled around his unconscious body, and he was dying. Fast. I turned him over so I could see his face.

"Max…" he whispered, his eyelids fluttering open. His eyes wheeled around and around, but couldn't find my face.

"I'm here," I said, supporting his torso. Mom came by to attempt to stop the blood flow with gauzes. She wrapped them tightly around his chest, but they were soaked within minutes. The color drained from Fang's face, and I could tell he only had minutes left. I placed a hand on his ice cold cheek. _Please don't die, Fang,_ I thought, trying to will the life back into him. Mom gave up on stopping his gushing blood, and helplessly watched as he died, right in my arms.

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

I smiled as I watched her peacefully dreaming face relaxed, all the stress melting away. I loved my daughter when she was like this, care free and not worrying about a thing. Her mouth twitched slightly, and the smile started to shift into a frown. She grimaced suddenly, and I wondered if she was having a bad dream. She gritted her teeth, trying to hold back, but then-

"FANG! NOOOOO! PLEASE DON'T DIE!" she shrieked, thrashing about in her sleep. Her breath came raggedly and her cries tore at my heart. I quickly bent down to try and wake her up.

"Max! Wake up!" I whispered, shaking her shoulder. She sat up, her forehead covered in sweat. She gasped several times and looked up at me. Her brown eyes looked at me, but seemed to see more than just my concerned face.

"F-Fang is gone," she said in a hollow voice, and then she started sobbing into my shirt. I did my best to calm her down.

"Max, it's okay," I reassured her, "it was only a dream,"

"B-But it was so real," she blubbered. "I could feel the wind on my face and the blood on my hands…and I could smell the pine trees and sap on the pine cones from the spring. I was able to clearly see the night sky above me as I ran, and feel every sensation that I always felt when running. I heard Fang's voice, alike to the real one in every way. And most of all…I watched him die right in front of me. That felt more real than anything else," As Max spoke, her flood of tears slowed and eventually stopped. The house was calm and quiet again. But not for long.

**Nudge's POV**

Max opened the door to my room and walked in like her normal self: tall and full of confidence. At least I thought she was Max. She seemed strange and different when I saw her up close. I couldn't quite place what had changed about her. The color of her eyes seemed…off. She smiled at me in an odd, familiar way.

"What are you doing, Max?" I asked, starting to get scared. Brown eyes flashed scarlet, and her grin suddenly looked like a smirk to me. I backed up in my bed slightly.

"Nothing much, just, oh…you know…" Her grin stretched wider, and I thought I saw fur sprouting from her face and hands. Claws grew where her fingernails once were, and she chuckled in a way that scared me even more.

"Y-You're an Eraser!" I said, pointing at her. How was this possible?

"Goodbye, Nudge," Max launched her full Eraser self at me, roaring.

I felt myself being shaken very hard, and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. I rolled over in my bed, the blankets getting tangled up in my legs. I kicked at them, but they remained stubborn. Someone yanked them off of me, and I looked up to see…Ari?

"What are you doing here?" I demanded in a whisper. My throat was so sore I couldn't bring my voice up to its customary volume. I coughed and reached for the glass of water sitting on my night stand. He handed it to me and I drank the whole glass before setting it down again.

"Look, I was sent here by Jeb to take care of you guys. Max II is making everyone soup for later in case you get hungry. I'm just here to make sure the others don't go…crazy,"

"Wait…Max II is here? How did she get here? I thought Itex killed her along with the other mutants, like those kids we rescued from the Institute of Higher Living and the experiments at the School-" Ari put a large, Eraser-y hand over my mouth. I pulled his hand off me after a minute.

"Yes she's here, calm down for a sec…I think I heard something," he interrupted, heading for the door. He morphed back into a human, or as human as he would ever get. I followed him, trying to ignore the sudden dizziness that came over me. I stumbled into the living room and tripped over a console controller on my way to the stairs. Ari continued up the carpet staircase, ignoring me. I scrambled to my feet and nearly fell on top of Max, who was suffering from the fever and other mysterious symptoms on the couch. Dr. Martinez was nowhere in sight.

"What the heck is going on over here?" Ari demanded. I stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"Iggy says he can't see!" Fang giggled. "Look, did you notice his eyes? They never seem to blink! You're a freak, Iggy!" Fang laughed some more, and I ran upstairs to find him taunting poor Iggy, who didn't seem to find this funny.

"Dude, you are _so_ not funny," Iggy said, rolling his eyes as Fang waved his hand in front of his face again. Ari sighed and went into Angel's room to check on the Gasman. I heard a crash downstairs, and flew down the stairs to investigate.

**Ella's POV- a brief pregnancy scare**

I woke up itching all over. I scratched myself like crazy, but the itching grew worse and worse by the second until it was simply unbearable.

"Aaaah!" I frantically scratched at my back and ran to the bathroom across the hall. I had red splotches all over my body, not dots, but _splotches_. This was definitely not the chicken pox. I scratched at my arms and went to find Mom. Hopefully she had a cure for these insane hives appearing everywhere. I found her in the kitchen, helping Max. Or Max II. Whatever. One of the Maxes was there, picking up a pan. Nudge was there, babbling about Max's first attempt at cooking. I assumed this was the other Max. The one that tried to kill my sister. Five bowls of soup sat there; ready to be eaten. Four more sat behind them. For a minute, I forgot about the itchiness.

"Maxinator, pick that up. I need to check on the others. Tell Ari to get more ice," Mom said, starting to leave the kitchen. She bumped into me. "Oh, sorry, Ella-what is that all over your face and neck?"

"Do you have any medicine?" I asked, scratching my arms like crazy. Gosh, somebody please put me out of my misery! Nudge paused in her monologue about Max's terrible cooking and looked at me, her eyes widening as she took in all the red splotches. Mom went to go get her first aid kit. I pinned my arms at my side and tired to pretend the itching was happening to someone else. Before Nudge could bombard me with questions, I answered the one I knew she would ask me first.

"I don't know how this happened, Nudge. I just woke up itching like crazy," For once, she had nothing to say and just sadly stared at me. Then she broke into a coughing fit for several minutes. I waited for Nudge to catch her breath, but it was at least another five minutes before her panting settled down into normal breathing. Mom returned with the first aid kit.

"All I have is this anti itch cream, and only works for a few hours," Mom told me, applying the cold cream to my arms and face. She turned me around and lifted my shirt. "Oh my…" she whispered, staring at my stomach. The very first thought I had was, _oh my God I'm pregnant!_ But then I followed her gaze and noticed the weird rash continued down my chest, but it was a different color and shape. Nudge skipped out of the kitchen and into her room, blissfully unaware. Mom continued to stare at my stomach like a blithering idiot. I stared harder…did my stomach look larger? Fear shivered down my spine. I can't be pregnant. I just can't be. I never even was in bed with Iggy! Or anyone at all! But it turns out that she was just watching the "rash" change. It glowed and shifted all over me. I didn't feel a thing, other than the burning itchiness. Finally, it stopped, revealing the Itex logo. Mom's hands starting shaking and she dropped the anti-itch cream. I let my shirt fall back over my stomach, feeling cold for the first time today, and not because of the sudden draft that swept in here.

"I'm…gonna go," I said softly, leaving the room in a daze.

**Gazzy's POV**

I was almost completely asleep, having this awesome dream about an explosive hamburger and using it to fight all these Erasers…when a loud crash woke me up. After a while, I could hear Fang going nuts and skipping up and down the hallway, singing "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry. I shuffled out of my room to tell him to shut up, when a pillow came sailing toward my face. I ducked, and it hit the wall behind me. My skin felt crawly and itchy, so I went to the bathroom to take a shower. I splashed some cold water on my face to wake me up, but it felt so good that I did it again and again, until my hair was soaked and water continually dripped onto the floor. Waves of heat shook through me, making it hard to focus n finding a towel. Finally, I turned the shower on and got undressed. As I pulled the curtain across, I thought I heard someone by the small window above the shower.

**Fang's POV- karaoke marathon**

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_Not my intention_

_I got so brave, drink in hand_

_Lost my discretion_

_It's not what, I'm used to_

_Just wanna try you on_

_I'm curious for you_

_Caught my attention_

"Your turn Iggy!" I crowed, tossing the mike to him. He caught it, and started on the next part:

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_The taste of her cherry chap stick_

_I kissed a girl just to try it_

_I hope my boyfriend don't mind it_

_It felt so wrong_

_It felt so right_

_Don't mean I'm in love tonight_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_I liked it_

Max jumped in with her sweet soprano harmony as the next verse started:

_No I don't even know your name_

_It doesn't matter_

_You're my experimental game_

_Just human nature_

_It's not what_

_Good girls do_

_Not how they should behave_

_My head gets so confused_

_Hard to obey_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_The taste of her cherry chap stick_

_I kissed a girl just to try it_

_I hope my boyfriend don't mind it_

_It felt so wrong_

_It felt so right_

_Don't mean I'm in love tonight_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_I liked it_

Nudge finished off the song with equal enthusiasm:

_Us girls we are so magical_

_Soft skin, red lips, so kissable_

_Hard to resist so touchable_

_Too good to deny it_

_Ain't no big deal, it's innocent_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_The taste of her cherry chap stick_

_I kissed a girl just to try it_

_I hope my boyfriend don't mind it_

_It felt so wrong_

_It felt so right_

_Don't mean I'm in love tonight_

_I kissed a girl and I liked it_

_I liked it_

After the song ended, Max swooped in to kiss me head-on. I didn't hold back; I returned the kiss with equal boldness and passion right in front of the flock. Ella passed by our makeshift stage, completely ignoring us. Max II appeared with a tray full of soup for everyone.

"Sorry for the delay," she apologized, setting the tray down. "It should still be warm. Enjoy," We all reluctantly ate the tomato soup, for once, not all that hungry. After eating only half a bowl, I had a great idea.

"Why don't we do karaoke? That would be so much fun, right, Nudge?" She nodded in eager agreement, running onto the stage(the couch), wanting to go first.

"I want to do this song!" she exclaimed, popping in a CD. She began to sing.

_1, 2, 3 _

_Not only you and me_

_Got one eighty degrees and I'm caught in between_

_Countin' 1, 2, 3_

_Peter Paul and Mary_

_Gettin' down with 3P everybody loves-_

"Okay that's enough of that song!" Max interrupted; her face flushing with some form of embarrassment. Dr. Martinez came into the room, looking flustered.

"All right children, I want you all to get some rest. Why don't all of you sleep out here, so I can keep an eye on everyone at once?"

"Can't I just do my solo?" I complained, not feeling the least bit tired. She shook her head.

"No, Fang. You can play with Ella's karaoke machine tomorrow," I sighed, having no choice but to listen to her.

**Ari's POV**

While the commotion downstairs went on, I waited for Angel to make her appearance. I had tapped into Mr. Chu's phone lines and discovered he needed her back at Max's house to get more test results. I knew which window she was most likely to enter through, and where she would go first. All I had to do was wait in this closet.

**Angel's POV**

I flew high over Georgia, searching for a place to land. I would be at the Martinez residence by sundown. I had three hours to arrive, gather the results, and return to headquarters before dark. I found a small bush, and made to land there. I felt a presence leave my head, and knew I only had perhaps a few seconds of control left before I was rendered helpless again. I took out my cell phone, the one Max doesn't know about, and dialed home.

"Hello? Who is this?" Dr. Martinez asked. I put on my most friendly voice.

"This is Angel," I said sweetly, "I need to speak with Max, please. This is urgent," A few moments later, Max was on the phone. I gritted my teeth, prepared for her reaction.

"What do you want?" Max growled. Her voice was scratchy, but recognizable. I didn't hesitate in giving her my hasty answer.

"Max," I spoke quickly, hoping she'd be able to keep up. "There's not much time, but I'm being controlled by Mr. Chu. Please try to forgive me for what I'm-" The phone cut off. I had lost control of my body, my mind. As I mentally struggled against myself, I realized there was one thing Mr. Chu had no reign on. My heart.

**Jeb's POV**

The plane finally took off into the air after what seemed like an eternity. I sighed, and settled into my first-class seat as a movie about the last man on earth was played. I hated airline travel. I was currently in Washington, which is thousands of miles from my eventual destination, but I should arrive in Atlanta before sundown. I checked my watch: 5:30. Sunset was not for another three hours. I sank into the plush seat and slipped into dreamland in seconds.

**Max's POV- welcome to…reality?**

I found myself in a dog crate. Whoopdeedoo. Let's celebrate with the number of times I've been put in this cramped prison, shall we? I took this moment of almost-peace-but-not-really to get my bearings. I remember fighting off Eraser after Eraser, and then I just…blacked out. I couldn't seem to find a cause. This lab looked all-too-familiar. Then again, I was so used to this _h_ hole that any lab would look familiar. Jeb entered the lab, wearing one of those irritating white coats.

"Good evening, Maximum," he said warmly, smiling at me. I glared at him. "You're here because I need you to do something," I waited for him to finish, not wanting to say anything more to this traitor. Actually, I never said a word, but if I did say anything, it was already too many words to this guy. "I need you to figure out if this is a dream or not. Once you do, I can let you leave, because that can determine what happens next. But the answer must be yours, not Angel's or Fang's or even Iggy's," He nodded, and walked back out. All I could think was: _Huh?_


	13. Chapter 13

_Previously on Chatroom A…_

"_I need you to figure out if this is a dream or not. Once you do, I can let you leave, because that can determine what happens next. But the answer must be yours, not Angel's or Fang's or even Iggy's," He nodded, and walked back out._

_And now…_

**Disclaimer:**

**Nudge: Oh my gosh how did I get here? On minute I'm playing checkers with Fang and now I'm in some room with a computer…am I at the School AGAIN? Max won't be happy with this you know. She's gonna be so mad, and she may even beat you up. I don't want to see that happen even though I don't know you but still she should learn to chill out once in a while, you know? Because he doesn't have to be on her guard all the time-**

**Iggy: -covers Nudge's mouth-**

**Me: Silence at last.**

**Max: Come on! Please?**

**Me: No!**

**Ella: I have to go to back to school shopping in an hour! Oh wait a minute…what's today's date?**

**Max: I don't know.**

**Nudge: I think I know, because Angel gave me a calendar for my birthday last year, but the calendar is all out of date, you know? So, I'm so very confused...-trails off into a monologue about her calendar-**

**Me: -ignoring- I don't own these characters(thank God) or Maximum Ride, but if you want to know who does, go to 1334-**

**JP: Hey! I moved last year anyway! Besides, I own this…um…great story.**

**Me: Get outta here, I'm writing geniusness.**

**JP: You're rude.**

**Me: I'm in a bad mood! Shut up! –starts throwing things at JP-**

**Max's POV**

After Jeb left, all I wanted to do was punch the guy. How dare he mess with my head again like that, after all that happened the last time something like this happened? Why is he doing this to me? Does he love speaking in riddles to torture me beyond belief? I tried to stretch out in my small dog crate, with minimal success. I sighed and curled up even tighter. How in the world was this a dream? There had to be a way out of this…I shook the bars of my crate in frustration. A white coat came in, ignoring the spare lab coat on the floor. In his hand was a clipboard. He released me and dragged me down the hall into this room with an enormous tank filled with water. The scientist ordered me to get in and hold my breath for as long as I could. Every fiber in my being rebelled against obeying the evil man, but I did anyway, knowing I had no choice. As I sank into the warm water, I remembered my gills that I had recently gotten. Of course, I couldn't let _them_ know about that. I sucked in a deep breath before plunging my head underwater. I caught a sign of movement out of the corner of my eye; I unthinkingly followed it. I discovered, at the very bottom of the tank, a very small key of some sort. I snatched it and made sure that the white coat didn't see me grab it. The water was very relaxing to swim around in, almost like bath water or even pool water. It had been over three minutes, and my lungs showed no sign of protesting for air. After another thirty seconds, I got bored and swam back up to the surface, theatrically gasping as my head popped up above the water. I was given a few sips of water, a towel, and a change of clothes before being sent back to my crate. I fingered the key still in my hand. I briefly wondered what it was used for.

_I believe it unlocks your dog crate_, the Voice said suddenly. I nearly dropped the key in surprise. I spotted a small key hole, and I stuck it into the opening. I turned it, and I heard a quiet click. The door swung open. For a moment, all I could do was stare in shock at the sight of the escape I had just created. Seconds later I was running for my life down the hallway, dodging anyone trying to make a grab for me. As I passed the room that had the tank in it, I slipped in water and almost fell, but I managed to grab the doorknob for support. Water seeped out from under the door faster than I thought was possible, and I kicked the door open. The tank had an enormous hole in it, and water was gushing out of the side. On the floor, someone was unconscious…

"Angel," I whispered, running to help her up. Her eyes snapped open at my touch, and she sprang to her feet.

"Max, what happened?" she asked fearfully, looking around at the growing puddle rushing out of the crack under the door.

"If we don't get out of here, we'll turn into underwater mutants!" I yelled over the roaring of the water as the hole grew bigger. Angel looked unconcerned, the fear fading from her face. Of course she didn't care, I realized suddenly. She has gills too. An earsplitting crack alerted my attention back to the enormous tank. The glass had begun to crack and more water seeped out of the new opening. The tank bulged, threatening to burst from the immense pressure pushing from inside of the glass.

"We'll be just fine in here," Angel said calmly, but the level of the water was already halfway up her knees. Her skirt was soaked and her wings were probably starting to get wet. I didn't want to leave without her, so I crossed my arms and stared her down for several minutes. The glass shattered right then, exposing another hole in the tank. I ducked as the shards went flying my way and embedded themselves into the wall. I could feel warm water lapping at my stomach; the level was rising fast. I stopped using my voice, instead I pleaded to Angel with my mind.

_Please, I can't lose you,_ I thought. Her blue eyes grew soft and sad when she read my message, but she didn't move an inch from where she stood, though the water was now almost to her chin. I could a hear the strange sound of glass grinding and protesting against the pressure that kept building and building and…Angel frantically swam for the window near the ceiling as the water rushed out of it like a waterfall. She squirmed out of the tiny opening, leaving me all alone. I tried to swim toward the window after her, but then the tank finally gave way. Everything exploded. Glass sliced through my skin and embedded deep into my face, arms, legs, and chest. For a minute, all I could comprehend was the unbelievable pain. Then I had to shut down the message the pain was sending me so that I could focus. Underwater, the middle of the door looked weak from the pressure of the water. I started punching my way through the wet wood, and the door soon gave way. Gallons of water gushed into the hallways of the School, and when the water had evened out so that it only came up just past my knees, I collapsed where I was.

When I opened my eyes, I was back at Mom's house, lying on my bed. Mom hovered over me, pulling out every tiny piece of glass inside my skin. I felt heat come to my face when I realized I was hardly wearing anything.

"Mom?" I whispered hoarsely. My throat hurt from swallowing so much water. Everything hurt, actually. I had to get my bearings, if I ever wanted to leave this bed. "Who carried me home?"

"Fang did," she answered absently, checking to see if I had any broken bones. I sucked in a breath as she came across a particularly large piece of glass embedded in my stomach. Blood still seeped out of the wounds, and I briefly wondered how much I had lost. I ignored the stings and aches all over me and tried to sit up, only to be held back by Mom.

"You have to sit still," she said firmly, staring fiercely into my eyes. Underneath the fierceness I could see how concerned and worried she was, so I knew there was no point in arguing.

"Okay," I agreed in a scratchy whisper. I let my head fall back onto the pillow, but before I could fall asleep, I heard someone in the doorway.

"Can I see Max?" Fang inquired. Mom gasped and shifted in front of me for some reason. I felt my face get even hotter when I remembered the reason.

"Fang, you scared me!" Mom exclaimed. Behind her back she held a shirt and a pair of shorts. Meant for me, obviously, so I grabbed the clothes and scrambled under the blankets to get dressed. Seconds later I emerged and winced when that did no good for my aching chest, arms, legs, and everywhere else. Fang, having noticed me, was at my side at once.

"Oh, Maximum, I'm so sorry I didn't get there in time," he apologized, his mesmerizing eyes scattering my concentration. Honestly he is so dreamy and…what am I _saying_? I shook my head quickly, clearing it.

"What do you mean get there in time?" I asked, wincing again when that hurt my throat. Probably from swallowing glass, too, because every time I swallowed I could feel little cuts on the inside of my throat. My stomach churned uncomfortably. It must have just processed the awful glass. I tried to ignore it.

"I was coming to rescue you and Angel, but by the time I got there, the whole place exploded with water. Angel told me that the one tank was connected to a whole bunch of other tanks, the whole water system actually, and when that collapsed, the School did too," My eyes widened. He just used up a whole week's supply of words. Not like Fang at all.

"You talk too much," I croaked, coughing out a laugh. He half-smiled. Mom stepped toward me, her brown eyes worried.

"I need to take a quick X-ray to make sure you didn't swallow any glass. Having that in your digestive system can be dangerous, because it can shred apart vital organs," She pulled me to my feet, causing my stomach to twist uncomfortably. I promptly retched onto the carpet. Fang held my hair and Mom jumped back toward the doorway.

"I think…I need…a bucket," I managed to say before throwing up again. When my stomach was officially empty, Mom left to go get something to clean up the mess. She returned with some carpet cleaner and tossed it into Fang's hands. Ever since she found out that the two of us were…dating, she had been treating Fang more like an obliged acquaintance than part of the family.

"Are you all right?" she asked me as we went into her office. I nodded, afraid to open my mouth. After the X-ray was taken and it turned out that nothing sharp had gone down my throat after all, I was free to lie in bed all day to recover and have my meals be brought to me on a tray. Which was probably every hour and a half. At around six, Fang came by to visit, which was a great comfort. As I gazed into his eyes, he spoke.

"Remember that night?" he said softly, sitting on my bed. "Three weeks ago, we were home alone, and Mom was going to be back late…" He almost smiled in his Fang-like way. A memory, somehow unfamiliar to me, popped up in my head. The two of us, on the couch, kissing each other fiercely. Me, moaning in pleasure in a very un-Max-like way. I shook away the image, blushing deeply.

"Yes I do," I replied in a voice that didn't sound like mine. "But…_that_ can wait until everyone else is asleep," I continued, my fingers twisting in his hair. He half-smiled, and then left the room with my empty tray. I jerked my head toward the window and caught sight of the calendar on the wall. _Oh no_, I thought. Today was the third of August. That can't be right. I started counting. Once. Twice. Three, four, and then five times. _Oh, no,_ I thought again. My hands flew to my stomach.

"Oh no!" I squeaked, lifting up my shirt. That was _not_ there yesterday. There was no way on earth that I could be _pregnant_. I was two weeks late. My stomach should still be flat. I've watched this process on TV to understand that it was too soon for this. But I wasn't human, so that was understandable. Still, my breathing sped and my throat closed up in fear. How in the world do I tell Mom? Before I knew it, I was standing up, pulling my shirt down, and launching myself out the window. I snapped out my wings and pulled out of my dive in one smooth movement, heading toward the clouds. I poured on the super speed and was off like a rocket. Half an hour later or so, according to my watch, I was at the coast of Georgia. I continued on out, letting the time pass.

_How can this happen? I didn't ask for this,_ I thought.

_Max, the bird and the bees…_ the Voice started.

_Don't start with me,_ I warned.

_You can't just run away every time you're afraid of something_, the Voice chided. _Go back and figure things out on your own. It will all work out. I promise._

_How can you be so sure that Mom will accept this piece of news? She trusted me and Fang to be responsible. I don't think getting pregnant at almost fifteen qualifies._

_But she knows that you take care of the flock. One addition won't matter too much, I'm sure. _I tried to find another argument, but my Voice was right. Again. I turned back in the general direction of the house, and realized I was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I rocketed back home and back into my bedroom, only to be greeted by Mom. Her arms were folded across her chest and her scowl was practically spitting fire.

"Crap," I groaned, noticing that I was gone for three hours. I prepared myself for the yelling. Nothing happened for perhaps thirty seconds while she stared me down. Finally, she spoke.

"Maximum Valarie Ride," she said sternly, and all I could think was, _my middle name is Valarie_? like an idiot. "Where. Have. You. Been? I leave you alone for a couple hours, and you take off on me. No explanations, no notes, nothing. Nobody knew anything. Not even Angel, who seems to know it all. Or maybe she _does_ know something," Mom turned for the door.

"No wait!" I said without thinking. She stopped, and I internally kicked myself for being so stupid.

"What is it? Go ahead and explain," I gulped. Why did I have to be afraid of my own mother's anger?

"I…I…um…puberty?" I suggested hopefully. Mom's expression grew fiercer, if possible. I tried again.

"The…the truth is…well, it's a pretty funny story, actually," I stammered, heat flooding my cheeks as I thought of that night.

"Start. Talking. Now." Mom growled, placing her hands on her hips.

"Do you really want to know?" I squeaked. She stalked toward me, her eyes piercing into mine.

"I don't know what's up with you, but I'm going to find out," she hissed into my face. Being much shorter than me, she had to stand on her tiptoes to see me better even though she was in high heels. She spun around and left the room. I exhaled in a gust and collapsed onto my bed.

The next week was filled with so much tension between me and my mom that I went to go live out of town for most of that time to let her calm down. Upon my return, my secret was out. Angel found out first, when I felt a nudge inside me. My hands flew to my stomach when that happened, and Angel's eyes widened in shock as she read the thoughts I've been blocking. Of course, Mom was still out of the loop, since she was at work, but Fang brought me into a spontaneous hug when he got the news. Jeb was there, frowning in worry at me.

"Max, have you decided whether you're dreaming yet?" he asked me. My breath came out in a _whoosh_. I had actually forgotten about that. It all seems so real…that it really might be. I didn't need to say anything. The answer was in my eyes. I truly didn't know. There was another nudge inside me. His eyes drifted to the slight bulge protruding between my hips.

"Congratulations," he said softly, stunned into silence. Fang wrapped his arm around me, grinning in a way I have never seen him do before.

"We should name the kid," he piped up before planting his lips on mine. My heart thudded a happy beat of its own, my palms slicked with sweat, but I didn't let go. Not even to breathe. Not even to…everything changed, but still somehow stayed the same. I was still kissing Fang, but now I was...lying down? Wait a minute. This isn't right. I shouldn't be smelling hospital chemicals around me. I shouldn't feel smooth sheets underneath me. And, most of all, I shouldn't feel extremely hot, like I was on fire. I broke away from Fang, gasping for air. And totally confused. Not just from kissing Fang and having my senses rearranged, either. My hands came down to my stomach, and I was immediately puzzled by the flatness. Did I already miss all the weeks of pregnancy and give birth to a child I don't even know? Did I…imagine all of that? Dream it?

"Where's my baby?" I hissed under my breath, whipping my head around the room. Mom looked at me like I was crazy, which I probably was. "Don't tell me that this was all some kind of sick joke," I glared at Fang and Iggy. Of course, that only worked on one of them. I sighed. The rest of the flock was there, murmuring among themselves. How unlike them. Mom came up to me, slowly, calculating each step. Her eyes never left my face the whole time. The others looked like they had recovered from the strange illness. But I didn't take any notice of them.

"Are you sure she's awake?" she murmured to Fang. He said nothing. That made her all the more anxious as she scrutinized my face. The pieces came together slowly. I was never at the School. The place never flooded. I never…did that with Fang. I never got pregnant. Something inside me broke apart, and tears unwillingly gushed down my cheeks as I realized that last one.

"No," I protested through my tears. "No, no, no!" Mom looked at Angel questioningly, and she whispered something in her ear. But that was when I remembered something. That memory that came to me in the weird dream…_was_ real. I smiled in relief at that thought. I still _could_ be. That was all that mattered, was the possibilities of things. At least until Angel's head snapped up in both surprise and confusion.

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Just thought I'd leave a cute little cliffhanger. Sorry the update took so long, I only get so much free time now that school is in session and I'm in my junior year of high school…yadda yadda yadda, won't bore you with the details. Anyhoo, R and R and we are good! Virtual cookies to those that managed to make sense of this chapter. I tried to give little hints to you readers without giving too much away. Let me know if I did a good job on that or not, because I tried my best.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Angel's POV- a confusing source of thoughts**

I tried my best to listen in on the new thoughts, and this is what I heard: _Divide cell Divide cell Divide cell Determine gender…? Divide cell Divide cell Divide cell_…And so on. What is that? I wondered, leaning in to where the thoughts were coming from. _Determining avian content...4%_.

"Did…Did you hear that?" I asked, leaning over so far that I fell out of my chair. The noise woke up Ella, who had fallen asleep waiting for Max to get better. She was acting so strange that they all relied on me to remind them that Max was really dreaming. I shuddered, thinking about the past week and a half…

"_Max, wake up," Dr. Martinez nudged her shoulder. No response. Max slept on and it was nearly noon. Most of us were well enough to be out and about, but Max still got worse, if that were possible. Her temperature lowered, thankfully, but other strange symptoms appeared. Max's eyes suddenly snapped open. But her eyes were off…_

"_Come on, we're getting out of here Angel," she said, shuffling forward. Her eyes seemed to see things that weren't there or something._

"_Me? I'm not going anywhere, not while you're still sick," I replied, perplexed at her strange behavior._

"_The water is rising, in case you haven't noticed," she pointed out dully. I looked at my feet. Nothing was there._

"No we didn't hear anything," Nudge said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Oh…this is strange," I murmured, not minding the coolness of the tile floor so much anymore.

**Unknown POV- thrown into existence…who am I?**

I writhe and develop. I am of life, of reason, and of love. The result of when "I do" turns into a lovely night on the beach…or in bed, whatever they prefer. But what they do not know is what I will be capable of. Though consciousness as to when, where, or how I came to be, has not fully set in yet, I patiently wait, knowing what is to come. A long journey waits for me. Soon…I will act, and do my part. Then I can officially be called _alive_, in so many ways. I cry when unhappy, and smile when I am. But not yet. I don't have a mouth. Or eyes, or ears for that matter. But I do have a mind, however small it may be. So, now I will put it to good use and try to make sense of what is going on around me. What am I? Who am I? Why do I exist? Do I even exist? What is this…existing my mind is telling me about. I do not understand. What is happening? Someone should tell me. Time is beginning to mean something again. I think I can see. Nope. Light does not filter in. But I think I can feel. That is something. Something indeed. Many things are still not clear to me, but the fact that I can feel water around me makes me more sure of the fact that I do indeed exist. And I will continue to exist, for who knows how long.

**Max's POV**

I was dreaming in an alternate reality. Okay then…I was pregnant in that alternant reality, and now I find out that I may be pregnant for real. Only one way to find out. I was sent home that afternoon. Immediately, I locked myself in the bathroom. I searched my way through the medical cabinet. I eventually found what I was looking for, of course. Now I just had to wait…I gasped as I heard the door, ever so slowly, open…

**Dr. Martinez's POV**

I cheerily hummed to myself as I went inside and almost tripped over something stiff and furry on my way up the steps. I thought nothing of it, and continued on with my life. I decided to check on Max. What I saw was so unbelievably shocking.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked. Max gasped in surprise, and something clattered to the floor. I very well knew what it was.

**Angel's POV**

My worry for Max had outweighed Chu's commands, and now he cannot get into my mind anymore. My head was my own. That didn't mean that anything was going to change. Of course I knew I was right to lead, and not just because Max doesn't think I should. Max and Fang are an item, as everyone knows. I have a feeling that it will weigh the flock down at some point in time. Back at Dr. M's house, everything had settled down and gone back to normal pretty quick. Iggy and Gasman were fighting over the remote in the living room. Nudge was locked up in her room poring over her fashion magazines. Fang was…wherever. Ella was in her room, doing…normal stuff probably. I started for the stairs, but was stopped by Total.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He said nothing, so I decided to see what he was thinking. I knew Max wouldn't want me to do this, but I didn't want to risk upsetting him more.

_Akila's gonna die. What am I gonna do when she dies?_

"Oh, Total…" I pulled him into a hug.

"Please tell me this is just a nightmare," he sobbed into my shirt. "Akila got hit by a car. On _my_ watch. It's all my fault, Angel. It really is," Just then, I heard Dr. M yell something at Max. I ran upstairs to find her holding something and pointing an accusing finger at Fang, who happened to be in the room for some reason. I have seen Dr. Martinez happy, worried, upset, disappointed, understanding, surprised, horrified, and apologetic. But I have _never_ seen her get angry before, especially at Max. I invaded her mind, and there was confusion in her thoughts, and even slight disappointment. She thinks Max is being irresponsible. That she chose this outcome.

"You, Fang, need to leave now," she was saying. "You can't seem to be able to know what the word respect means anymore. I don't want to see you with my daughter ever again. Go, and never return," The last words were a snarl. I watched in silence as pain ripped across her mostly expressionless features and was quickly covered up before Dr. Martinez could notice.

"You're being ridiculous. Let me explain," Max said, her voice beginning to shake. I let Total down from my arms and he pattered down the hall into another room.

"Start. Talking. Now." she growled, stalking toward Max, holding the pregnancy test like a weapon. Max is the toughest person I've ever known, but seeing the slight spark of fear in her eyes made me afraid too. I knew what she was afraid of, and if she didn't do some pretty good explaining, Fang would never be allowed in the house again. And what Dr. M says, goes. No questions about it.

"I never _asked_ to become pregnant, okay? Fang and I never meant to do that either. One thing lead into another and next thing you know, we were tangled together on the couch. We were responsible…and I took a birth control pill afterward. I must have waited too long after that." Dr. Martinez was shaking with anger now. I shrank back into the wall.

"How should I know?" she replied in a calm, dangerous voice. "How should I know that you're being _responsible_, when you are pregnant at fifteen? Yes, you are fifteen now, Maximum. Your birthday was three weeks ago. Either kill the baby, or put it up for adoption, but you cannot keep it."

_Kill the baby?_ I thought at Dr. Martinez. _Don't you think that's a little harsh?_

_Anything to protect Max from what almost happened to me in high school,_ she replied grimly.

_So this has nothing to do with whether they're responsible?_

_No, now get out of my head, Angel._

**Ella POV**

It was high time we settled down and teased each other to tears on the chat room again, so I logged on to see who was around.

**CaptianBlindTerror: dude u need 2 learn how 2 use a computer…**

**iggsters: oh sorry for being blind and i can type better than you**

**undergirl: Hey, what's up?**

**CaptainBlindTerror: nothing**

**morphindude: guys…we got captured by itex.**

**MR2: The good news is we sent the Director all the way to Madagascar. Don't ask, and we won't tell.**

**undergirl: ?**

**CaptianBlindTerror: we can rescue you**

**MR2: No. Too dangerous. Where's Max?**

**CaptainBlindTerror: recovering. we are all well except for her.**

**MR2: Right…well we have to go. Nice knowing you.**

**undergirl: Wait what? Are you being…retired?**

**MR2: Yeah…bye.**

**MR2 is offline**

**morphindude is offline**

**Woof is online**

**Woof: She was sweeter than Angel…furrier than my face…why oh why did she have to die? I think I've lost my ability to fly.**

**valentine34: you've been at it with the angst poetry for three hours. please stop total.**

**Woof: Akila…you are gone from my life…and you also took my heart and soul.**

**valentine34: I give up!**

**undergirl: ….anything else weird going to happen in the next ten seconds? Where's Max?**

**valentine34: bathroom, with your mom and fang**

**undergirl: Why?**

**valentine34: because, max is pregnant and mom is mad at her and fang.**

**undergirl: o.O Max. Is. Pregnant? At fifteen.**

**valentine34l: yep**

**undergirl is offline**

**Woof is offline**

**CaptianBlindTerror is offline**

**iggsters: whats going on? nudge is typing for me…and she wants to start a typing marathon or something. whered everyone go?**

**valentine34: where max is. fang is getting claustrophobic so go save him**

**iggsters: k fine then**

**iggsters is offline**

**trust_me_max is online: Hello? Max? You there? Crap I missed her.**

**trust_me_max is offline**

**A/N: Wow that was pretty mean of Dr. Martinez wasn't it? Stay tuned for more action from mysterywriter94!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ella: She doesn't own the stupid series, 'kay? Quit asking or I'll have Max rip all your stupid heads off.**

**Max's POV**

For a minute, I was actually surprised. Mom had never acted or spoken that way…to any of us before. It was certainly an event. Then I was angry. How dare she give me such an impossible choice! There was no way I'd kill this unborn child, or give it away. It is _mine_. Fang melted into the shadows as he headed out of the bathroom, remaining silent as usual. I wonder what decision he wanted me to make. I slowly went downstairs, more careful than I ever was before in taking each step forward for fear I might hurt the child if I so much as jostled it. Despite my care and quiet, Fang was downstairs waiting for me within a second. I sighed, wondering how he could have possibly detected any noise from the stairs, and then realized that it was probably because I'm a little heavier now. That was going to take some getting used to.

"We should start going through baby names before you mother kills me," he said, smiling. I smiled back, happy that he made the same choice. The only question was, how do we hide this from Mom?

**Nudge's POV**

_Boy Names_

_Fredrick_

_Victor_

_Bob_

_Billy_

_Derek_

_Fang_

_Iggy_

_Gasman_

_Total_

"Anything else?" I asked, looking at the list of failed names. Max bit her lip, thinking.

"Yeah…what are you boy names, Fang?"

"Well…"

_Dylan_

_Sam_

_William_

"I'd rather if it were a girl," Angel blurted. I nodded, adding to the list.

**Girl Names**

**Lissa**

**Brigid**

**Arianna**

**Max**

**Angel**

"Come on, guys. We've been at this for an hour already," I complained. "Think of something unique, like one of our names," Max thought for a while again

"I think we should let the child decide," she said, smiling. "If it doesn't like its name, he or she can change it." Iggy and Gasman grinned, bringing forth their list of names.

_Exsploso_

_AwesomeDude_

_Ryan_

_Dexter_

"You're no fun, Max," Iggy mumbled, crossing his arms. Max laughed, and Fang tightened his hold on her shoulders. There was a knock at the door. We all froze and held our breath. Was it Dr. Martinez?

"Nudge, open the door. I have my list of names ready for Max and Fang," Ella said, knocking again.

"Come in," I called. She opened the door and briskly came up to me with a sheet of paper. I scanned the list, running the names by Max and Fang one by one.

**Rachel**

**Victoria**

**Valarie/Val**

**Valencia**

**Estella**

**Felicity**

"Here's the final list," I announced erasing the ones no one agreed on.

_Boy Names_

_Sam _

_William_

**Girl Names**

**Arianna**

**Max **

**Angel**

**Valencia**

**Estella**

**A/N: Sorry for the short chappie! I need you guys to vote between these names. Whichever gets the most votes will win! Next poll: powers for the new baby…coming soon(Chapter 17 or something like that)**


	16. Chapter 16

"Max, you can stop gripping the seat like you're on a rollercoaster. We're here," Fang said, unbuckling my seatbelt. I let out my breath the second I was out of the car.

"Never drive again. Ever," I said carefully in my stunned state.

A/N: SO SORRY about not updating. I promise, I'll try harder to get more updates in ASAP.

Fang almost smiled that half-smirk of his, and my heart flipped happily. I continued to gaze at him until he started to drag me toward the doctor's office. Immediately, my heart started racing and my breathing quickened. I tried to twist away from him, but his hold on me was firm.  
I let myself be pulled into the waiting room and toward a chair before my hand was finally released. I was so jittery that the other kids looked at me funny and sat with their mothers, apparantly not scared at all. Of course, they weren't subjected to horrible tests most of their lives and mistreated by a bunch of cold-hearted scientists that would love nothing more than to dissect your brain for cold, hard cash. I glared at the floor. How lucky that Fang and I came alone, and not with any of the others. The nurse told us it was time to go in. I slowly suffled foward. Fang gave me a push. I didn't budge.

"I'll be right behind you," he murmured, kissing my hair. Well, that did it. I turned around and kised him back, full on the mouth and all romantic-like, savoring the moment until-

"Ahem. Maximum Ride?" I sighed and pulled away from Fang. He looked at me, and I looked back.

Go ahead, his face said.

Don't let them hurt me, my face said back.

I won't.

Finally, I made it to the doctor's office. He made me sit on this counter much like the one I saw in Mom's veternarian office. The only difference here was, I was perfectly healthy, for a mutant that got pregnant at fifteen. No wonder my mom was so furious. I would be mad if Nudge or Angel had been that irresponsable. But, the thing was the 'protection' could only work with us 98% human hybrids so far. If it was questionable with regular people, it was completely useless with us. I should have tried mentioning that to her when she found out.

"All right, then. Let's see...you are due for a swine flu shot, Max. Let me just get my needle and we'll be good to go," At that moment, Fang came into the room, looking all graceful and heroic.

"DOn't tell me," I said to him sarcastically. "They made a mistake, and you're the one getting the shot,"

"Nope," he said. If I was lucky, that would be the most I'd hear from him today. Oh great. Needles. I gulped. The doctor pulled out a rubber band and tied it really tight around my arm. The vein popped out. Then he took an alcohol wipe and rubbed it hard where he was to insert the needle.

"F-fang?" I called out nervously. In an instant, he was at my side holding my hand. I concentrated on the feel of his skin to control my heart rate. I thought of all the times he was there for me, that no matter what, we'd be together. He promised that he'd never, ever leave me. I believe him.  
What reason is there not to? I wondered what it is exactly that made him so...silent and emotionless. Was he born that way, or did the white coats do something so horrible and unimaginable that it made Angel's predictament seem like nothing? He never spoke of anything that happened to him before we met. And I remembered that day so clearly sometimes it seems like it happened only yesterday. I thought I felt a prick in my arm, but it was just my imagination. When I was next aware, we were at home again.

"Max? Max, you're about to squeeze my hand off. We're home," I smiled in relief as I came to my senses. It was over. That doctor seemed almost nice for a minute. I didn't feel a thing. I felt as if I were floating on a could of light, but Fang might be the reason why. I started to head for the kitchen, knowing everything will turn out all right.

"Did you get that abortion?" Mom asked, turning around. Oh, crap. Fang lied to Mom. I decided to play dumb.

"Uh...huh?" I said intelligently.

"You heard me," she said, crossing her arms. "Fang told me you were going out to do exactly as I asked," Oh, now I got it. She misinterpreted the message.

"Which was the stuff on this list," I responded, handing her a sheet of paper with everything on it crossed off. I already knew what was on it:

Call Jeb

Stop by bank and make deposit into Iggy's account

Take Max to doctor for her shot

"Oh..." She threw the completed list away. I went to find something to eat, since Fang made me wake up super early and only have three helpings of scrambled eggs.  
To me, that was hardly anything. I managed to make myself some sandwiches without screwing things up.

Angel's POV

"All right now, three, two, one-" Iggy burst into laughter. Gazzy joined him, and Nudge grinned. I sighed. "Aren't you guys going to take the movie seriously?"

"Sorry, sorry, we'll be serious now," Iggy promised.

"Three, two, one, action!" I shouted. Total adjusted the camera.

"Hello, MTV. We are here to exploit our talents to the world. Whether we make it on TV or not is your choice. Just sit back and enjoy the show," Iggy stepped aside to reveal the Gasman. Iggy stood next to him to sing backup. Nudge waited off to the side.

"I'm doin' this tonight You're probably gonna start a fight I know this can't be right Hey baby come on,

I loved you endlessly When you weren't there for me So ow it's time to leave and make it alone

I know that I can't take no more, it ain't no lie I wanna see you out that door Baby, bye, bye, bye

Don't wanna be a fool for you Just another player in our game for two You may hate me, ut it ain't no lie Baby, bye, bye, bye

Don't really wanna make it tough I just wanna tell you that I had enough It might sound crazy but it ain't no lie Baby, bye, bye, bye

Just hit me with the truth Now, girl you're more than welcome to So, give me one good reason Baby come on I live for you and me and now I really come to see That life would be much better once you're gone

I know that I can't take no more it ain't no lie I wanna see you out that door Baby, bye, bye, bye

Don't wanna be a fool for you Just another player in your game for two You may hate me but it ain't no lie Baby, bye, bye, bye

Don't really wanna make it tough I just wanna tell you I had enough It might sound crazy but it ain't no lie Baby, bye, bye, bye

I'm giving up I know for sure I don't wanna be the reason for you love no more I'm checkin' out, I'm signing off Don't wanna be the loser and I've had enough

I don't wanna be your fool in this game for two So I'm leavin' you behind Bye, bye, bye

I don't wanna make it tough But I had enough And it ain't no lie

Don't wanna be a fool for you Just another player in your game for two But it ain't no lie Baby, bye, bye, bye

Don't really wanna make it tough I just wanna tell you I had enough But it ain't no lie Bye, bye, bye,"

A/N: I don't own the lyrics or Maximum Ride...NSync owns these lyrics and JP owns these characters...awww man.

Nudge waited for the music to end, and then she turned off the karaoke machine.

"That was 'Bye, Bye, Bye' by NSync," she said. "Of course, singing isn't the only talent we have in store..." Total panned the camera over to the gymnastics course Nudge had set up. It included several tumbling mats, spring boards, balance boards, and a trapeeze bar. She proceeded to cartweel across the first mat. Nudge used the momentum to continue foward to the trapeeze bar, swinging back and forth before executing a backfip onto the spring board. I held my breath. So, far, so good. Nudge then soumersaulted over another mat and managed to get to the balance board sucessfully. After her routine, Total moved the camera over to Max and Fang.

"This is a fighting scene we choreographed ourselves," Max explained. They started to fight each other. Fang blocked her first kick and repsonded with a punch in her gut. Of course, they were hardly touching each other. Even I could tell. But it would be enough to fool our audience. They continued through the rest of their prepared moves until Fang let himself lose the 'fight' by allowing Max to throw him into the grass ten feet away. How she managed to make it look like she actually putting forth effort I had no idea.  
Gazzy smiled into the camera when it turned back on him.

"Thank you for watching our video. We hope you enjoyed the results of all our hard work. Of course, we have to give some credit to our little sister for directing us," I skipped over to the Gasman and waved into the camera.

"That's all for now. Hopefully, you MTV people will see more of us in the future," I said. We all waved until the camera was off.

"And we are clear," Total called out from his spot above us.

"We totally nailed it!" Iggy yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Just then, Dr. Martinez drove up with Ella, who was returning from soccer practice.

"I'm going to tell Ella the news," I said, skipping happily over to the van.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

**Max's POV**

This was it. I was going to tell Mom that no matter what, I'd keep my little kid mutant. Estella. But on the planned day, the next doctor visit, Fang and I discovered something we didn't plan for. Twins, a girl and a boy. So…now what? Fang drove me home, being silent as usual, until we were parked in the driveway. He turned the car off but left the keys in the ignition. That meant he wanted to talk.

"Max, what are you going to do when Mom asks about the twins?" he asked. "What if she makes us leave?"

"I already thought of that, Fang. If she can't accept it, then we'll go," I said. I had a prepared note for Mom, Ella, and the flock in case that happened. "I've actually thought of everything. We can rent an apartment somewhere in Florida. I hear it's always sunny there. Plus we can experience Disney World whenever we want. If Mom does accept the twins, I ordered two cribs and some toys for them. So, basically we're all set for parenthood." Fang sat in silence for a moment, thinking over what I just said. When Fang thinks, he gets this weird look on his face like he's about to bite his lip off and eat it for dinner. I try not to laugh at it, but sometimes it is just too funny.

"That is all fine, Max, but what if…what if someone from the School takes them away to experiment on them?" I sighed.

"You leave the worrying to me, Fang. Just go inside and see if Mom cooked up lunch yet. I'm going to go talk to Ella. I'm bringing the news up at dinner, so if you're too chicken to face her you can take off before dessert," He nodded and took the keys with him.

**Ella's POV**

I happily set aside my homework and logged onto the chat room to talk to the others. Before I could do so much as type one word, Max came into my room.

"Hey Max," I said brightly. "You logging in?" She nodded, smiling. I handed her laptop over. She sat on the bed and opened it.

"Ella, I found out that I'm having twins. Do you have the list of boy names still?" She looked over at my desk. I glanced briefly at it and shook my head.

"I think Nudge ran off with it or something, you might want to ask her," I responded, turning back to my laptop.

**undergirl: Hey you guys, what's up?**

_Gasser has logged on_

**gasser: not much ella**

**chatterbox17: oooh my gosh did you hear about this cool thing online where you can buy this**

**SilentFeather: hey max just thought id shut nudge up**

**trust_me_max: Maximum, I need you to report to Colorado for your next mission.**

**MaxRide: who the heck are you?**

**trust_me_max: Someone who knows that you need me, despite my choices.**

**MaxRide; Voice?**

**trust_me_max: No, it's me, Jeb.**

**MaxRide: whatever**

_trust_me_max has been banned from the chat room for 24 hours_

**MaxRide: oh sorry hi fang 3**

**SilentFeather: how did jeb get on here?**

**MaxRide: don't know don't care moving on**

**blindtyper: yo sup gasman**

**gasser: oh not much just the usual except without the whole running for our lives deal**

**blindtyper: so not the usual?**

**gasser: yep**

**blindtyper: where do I put the toothpaste tube? under the wire?**

**gasser: yea, then connect the wire to the thing**

**blindtyper: ok**

**MaxRide: keep the explosives to a mimimal boys**

**Blindtyper: not making any promises max**

**Whitewings: oh dr m says that dinner is ready**

**MaxRide: okay tell mom well be right down**

**Whitewings: mmkay and can you make sure that totals doing okay I havent heard from him**

**MaxRide: sure thing sweetie**

_**This chat has been disconnected by MaxRide**_

After that adventure we all charged into the dining room and had several helpings of burritos and chocolate milk until even Fang and Iggy couldn't eat another bite. I went outside to fly alone. It was incredible just to feel the wind in my feathers. Now I understood why Max would fly for hours and hours. I opened my eyes and saw I was already miles away from home. But, instinctively, I knew it was somewhere southwest. How weird. Must be another bird kid thing Max told me about when I first met her. I landed in the trees, allowing myself to relax and just simply…be.

"This is the life," I sighed with contentment, lazily gazing at the leaves above me. They seemed to agree with me.

"Is it? Is it really?" a voice that sounded like Max's said. I was so surprised that I promptly fell out of the tree and landed on my ankle wrong. I winced as I heard the inevitable crunch. It was broken for sure. Trying to ignore the pain, I scanned my surroundings for the source of the noise.

"Up here," the voice called. I looked, but saw nothing. A figured jumped nimbly out of the trees and landed on the grass _without_ breaking her ankle. It was…Max. But it wasn't. I just saw her a while ago.

"You're Max II," I said.

"It's Maxinator, to clear the confusion," she replied. "Want me to set your ankle so that it won't heal wrong?" I shook my head.

"No thanks, my mom is a veterinarian," Maxinator examined me carefully.

"Nice wings you got there. Just make sure the School doesn't see them," she advised. I pulled them in. Remembering my ability, I scanned through the girl's emotions and saw that she was curious.

"We hardly know each other…why were you created?"

"My past is unimportant. Why are you here?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just exploring," I replied casually. "Does it matter?" Maxinator looked at me with level and unafraid eyes, just like the original Max. Her emotions were stirring with unease.

"I have something to tell you," My eyes widened.

**Ari's POV**

"Get up, you filthy traitor," Beck spat, kicking me again. I struggled to my feet as best I could with my broken arm and ribs.

"Unngh…" I gurgled, blood spewing out of my mouth.

"You're gonna pay for turning against us like that," Beck threatened, cracking his knuckles. "We know where your dad is, he won't be happy about this,"

"D-Dad?" I repeated stupidly, spitting out more blood. His eyes gleamed, then he morphed. Beck started to close in on me. I closed my eyes and raised my one good arm to defend myself…when I was pushed out of the way by someone.

"Get out of here!" Max II shouted, shoving me again. "I'll hold him off!" I tripped over my shoelaces in an effort to get moving. But I was moving. My ribs screamed in protest, but I kept running until I was outside the warehouse and in the air. It hurt like heck to fly again after being tied up for weeks at a time, but it felt pretty good at the same time. For one second, I was actually happy to be where I was. Up ahead was Ella, leading the way out.

"Ari, the house is this way!" she called out, dipping a wing to the left and making a turn. I smiled. I was going to their house. I'd have a place to live and food to eat. And a lot of it, too. It was a miracle.

**Max's POV**

"I'm sorry Mom, but…I can't do it," I held my breath, waiting for the explosion. Nothing happened for several moments. Mom sighed and sat down across from me at the dining room table. She looked straight at me.

"I know you can't," she said softly. "I just wanted to test you, to see how much you really wanted this. I'm sorry if I hurt you," Her brown eyes showed nothing but honesty, something I had a hard time finding in some people (cough evil scientists cough). I looked up at the ceiling for an inspirational response. Thankfully, the hole was fixed a long tome ago. Thinking about the hole made me wonder: what happened to my little brother Ari? The front door opened, but I ignored it, looking back at Mom.

"Right, I forgive you. Now…can I have a snack?" Mom laughed, and it made me smile.

"As soon as we greet our house guest," she promised, turning to see something I couldn't see. I followed her gaze to see…Ari!

"Ari!" He stared at me, saying nothing. Last time I saw him…that felt like forever ago. But now that he was here, what did that mean? Max II came in, followed by Ella.

"Anyone else?" I called. Ella grinned at me.

"Oh, Max I have so much to tell you!" she squealed excitedly, running to meet me. Mom returned with a plateful of cookies.

"Later, how about some food first?" I offered, looking at Ari and Max II. We all fell on the food and ate about seven cookies apiece. While Ari and Max II fought over the last cookie, I went into my bedroom and found Fang casually lying on my bed. He almost smiled at the sight of me. Almost, but that what was I liked about it. My stomach flip-flopped slightly. For a minute, all I could do was stand there and look at him. He was too perfect for words to describe. Finally I sat down next to him.

"It's all cool," I said. "Now…what say you and I go for a fly? My wings are aching for a stretch,"

"Yeah. I'll come up with a name for the other kid for you," he responded, using up a day's worth of words for him. Winter was coming, so the sun had already set by the time we were outside. But that had no effect on my vision. Fang's wings were invisible in the night as he silently swooped and soared through the air. I was just a few feet below him, happy to be at peace. Of course, it couldn't last long. I heard the sound of a gun being fired. I did the one thing I could do. I flew straight up in an effort to protect Fang. The bullet missed by inches. I could feel it graze the tip of my wing just slightly as I continued up and up, holding Fang in my arms tightly. Ignoring the sting, I pulled out of the climb and leveled us out, finally letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Wow," was all he could manage, but I could hear a paragraph's worth of words behind it. I let go of him and continued flying as if nothing had happened. We flew on and on until we found the hawk home we came across while on the way to rescue Angel so long ago. I saw a piece of paper sticking out from behind a rock.

"I'm going to investigate. You stay here," I went to go get the paper. On it was a note addressed to me.

_Max-_

_If you're reading this, I'm somewhere nearby. Tell your mother I'm safe. I can't tell you where I am, because they'll find you and kill you. The Erasers are out of control. They nearly killed Ari. Somehow he got away. Max II has important information about Fang's parents. You should let her stick around and tell you the story._

_Love,_

_Jeb_

Before all this craziness happened, I would've been furious that he bothered to give me more information. But now that the pain had ebbed away, I could almost trust him again. Almost. Fang, having listened to me so well, entered the cave.

"Max? What's that you got there?" he asked in a low voice, breaking the silence. I handed him the letter. He read it slowly, taking in each word. Finally, he looked at me.

"Destroy it," he said.

"But I thought you wanted…" He shook his head.

"No. Get rid of it at once, then we can talk," I tore the letter up into small pieces and let the wind carry the letter away.

"What's going on with you?" I demanded. "Don't you want to know who your parents are?" He nodded, not taking his eyes off me.

"Of course I do. I've never stopped wanting to know. I just didn't want the letter traced back to us in case we're still being watched."

"Oh. Leave the paranoia to me, Fang," I took a running leap off the cliff and unfurled my wings. Fang was just paces behind me.

"Let's go back and see what this is all about," he said.


	18. Chapter 18

_Nine Months later_

Funny how life seems to work out…almost like a happily ever after, right? Surrounded by family and the best friend you fell in love with. Erasers are long gone, and the School seems to have lost interest in us now that we got a little older, and just a lot better at hiding from them. Max II and Ari visit regularly, and Nudge now goes to school with Ella, like she always wanted. Gazzy and Iggy have made themselves famous on TV with their bomb making ability. Angel makes the world's best palm reader in the next town over, as long as she doesn't try out any hypnotism. Well, except for that one time when we forgot the money for the groceries…let's just say even can make a few exceptions. And where is Fang? And where am I? Well, I was just getting to that part.

"Aren't the twins gorgeous?" Mom exclaimed, running into the room. "I called the others and they will be here soon, Max. What were their names again?"

"Estella and Ari," I replied.

"As long there isn't a return of the Fnick," Fang snickered. I gave him a look that silenced him at once.

"I just can't believe I'm a grandmother. I feel so old now," Mom complained. "Where are the twins?"

"In the other room," I said. "Why don't you quiet down before you wake the whole hospital?"

"Oh. Right. Forgot. I'm just-just so…happy for you," The doctor came in, holding Estella at arm's length.

"This kid has wings. What's up with that?" he demanded with a slightly scared look on his face. I smiled, nodding to Fang. He revealed his wings in the same moment I did. Of course, to do that, I had to stand up first. The doctor gasped in surprise. A nurse came in with Ari, who was squirming about in her arms. Fang took Ari while I took Estella. She looked into my eyes, and I could feel my heart melt. She was one of the flock now…Nudge, Gazzy, Iggy, Angel, Ari, Max II, and Ella came crashing through the door, all talking at once, but mostly Nudge talking.

"Oh my gosh I heard the news and I was so happy that we got to skip history because it's so boring, you know-" Iggy covered his mouth so that he could talk.

"Can I see-"

"You're blind, Igs," Gazzy cut in. "I wanna teach Ari to make bombs when he's old enough! Can I Max?"

"No, you can't!" I shouted in horror. "Two of you is already enough!" Ella grinned at me.

"Max this is so cool!" she exclaimed. "Does this mean I'm an aunt now?"

"I guess so," I replied, shrugging. "I didn't think of that," Max II held up a laptop, while Ari had several more. Angel had the rest. I mentally counted them. Guess it was time to start chatting again. I took the blue laptop, Fang took the black one, Nudge took a pink one, Ella took a green one, and then the others grabbed them so fast all I saw was a blur of color. I cheerfully handed Estella over to Mom and logged in.

**E-A-M: Oh! Did you hear? Iggy asked me out last night!**

**MaxRide: congrats, sis :)**

**Iggsters: Gazzy here typiug for Iggy!**

**MaxRide: uh…**

**SilentFeather: Max…does this mean we have to get married?**

**MaxRide: idk**

**CHATTERINROX: oooh can I be flower girl max pleeeeeeeease omg I am soo excited didn't you hear about the latest news we are gonna be on tv this weekend! Angel heard back from mtv and we are gona be on that channel!**

**Pure_white_wings: this is an excellent opportunity to reveal ourselves to the whole world max! no more hiding our wings!  
**

**MaxRide: and also no more privacy or normal lives**

**Iggsters: were our lives ever normal?  
**

**Wolverine: where is max II?**

**OTHERMAX: right here…**

**Pure_white_wings: just trust me on this**

**MaxRide: okay even if I DID agree to this, what good would it do to "saving the world" like im supposed to do? I have non idea even HOW im supposed to save the world, the voice wont give me any details**

**OTHERMAX: ari has a voice too**

**MaxRide: really? Why didn't you tell me?**

**Wolverine: it didn't seem important, and besides doesn't angel have a voice too?**

**Pure_white_wings: I don't recall telling you that, ari**

**Wolverine: I used to spy on you guys, remember?**

**Pure_white_wings: why?**

**Wolverine: I wanted dad to love me**

**MaxRide: I thought he loved you best**

**Wolverine: I thought he loved YOU best**

**OTHERMAX: awww sibling moment!**

**Iggsters: okay our bomb show is called Blind Creator's Guide to Arsenics and its on…umm…I cant remember! Hang on!**

_**Iggsters has logged out**_

**CHATTERINBOX: max can I be a model? Pleeeeeeaaaassseeee? Ill see if the company works for hides my wings I prooooomise not to abuse my powers like angel used to all the time!**

**MaxRide: oh what the heck? What could go wrong?**

**SilentFeather: everything**

**MaxRide: back to what we WERE talking about…mtv. I GUESS we could do that, but if after one show they trick us, we are out of there, got it guys?**

**CHATTERINBOX: right**

**Pure_white_wings: yup**

_**Iggsters has logged back in**_

**Iggsters: yep and the show is on discovery channel**

**SilentFeather: I agree, max**

**Wolverine: and maxinator and I join you guys? Mtv sounds fun, I wanna be on tv!**

**OTHERMAX: yea it sounds so cool!**

**MaxRide: Ella?**

**E-A-M: sorry I was helping mom feed the twins. Whats up?**

**MaxRide: are you in for mtv?**

**E-A-M: well, DUH!  
**

**MaxRide: so its all set then…wheres total?**

**Pure_white_wings: im so sorry I didn't tell you sooner…**

**MaxRide: what, ang?**

**Pure_white_wings: he expired a while ago**

**MaxRide: oh….im so sorry angel I shouldve been there for you when that happened**

**Pure_white_wings: I hate that stupid school! Why did they have to set dates for all of us if we were so successful?**

**MaxRide: I guess they aren't very good with their plan b's…**

**Iggsters: yea man when are we gonna expire anyway or did they just lie to us again**

**MaxRide: hmmm ill have to ask either the voice or jeb to see which answer will make the most sense**

**E-A-M: max are you sure the voice isn't jeb?**

**MaxRide: already tried that, sweetie**

**E-A-M: oh. Huh. That's weird.**

"OUCH! Gazzy, get off me!" Iggy yelled, shoving the mimicking nine year old into the wall.

"Sorry, I tripped!" he shouted back. "Why don't you watch-oh, sorry, never mind, Igs,"

"S'okay," Iggy mumbled. "It's just an expression," I rolled my eyes and continued to chat with the others as if nothing had happened.

**Pure_white_wings: can we fix our expiration dates?**

**MaxRide: I don't know, ang. I don't know…**

**Wolverine: does anyone want to play with my gameboy that I stole one day?**

**OTHERMAX: I call dibs on the red one!**

**Wolverine: okay…anyone else? I have three more**

**CHATTERINBOX: oh you have gameboys? That is so cool I never played one before what is it?**

**Wolverine: it's a handheld device where you play games I guess ive only played with it a couple times so the battery is still good**

**SilentFeather: ill take the black one, ari**

**Wolverine: of course you will…**

While this was going on, I started talking to the Voice again to see what information I could get.

_Voice? You there?_ I asked hesitantly, feeling only slightly stupid talking to myself in my own head.

_As always_, it replied, startling me a little. It had been so long since I heard it that I almost forgot it was there. Emphasis on almost.

_One question…_I paused, trying to gather my thoughts together. _Do we really even have expiration dates, or is that just another test from the scientist to see what would happen if one of us 'died' suddenly?_

_Yes, your expiration dates are real, Max._ I gulped. Poor Gazzy. What if his time was soon? Or Iggy's? Or Angel's, even? I didn't even want to think about Fang's expiration date.

_Can't we fix them?_ I asked desperately. _There has to be a way out of this, something. Anything._ There was a brief pause of silence, during which I prayed to whatever God or Buddha was out there for some kind of non-fortune cookie answer that would at least somewhat make sense to me.

_Save the world, Max_ was its genius response after a whole five minutes of torturous waiting. I growled at the laptop in front of me. Surely the Voice knew how I was going to save the world, too, if it know I was going to at some point. I glanced at the screen and saw Fang had sent me a message. Most of the others had gotten bored and logged off, except for Ella and Angel.

**SilentFeather: Max? You okay?**

**MaxRide: yea, just a little conversation with the voice**

**SilentFeather: what did it say?**

**MaxRide: the only way out of our expiration dates is if I save the world**

**SilentFeather: how are you supposed to do that…?**

**MaxRide: one sec…I have a theory. I think we have to destroy the school, one at a time. And all itex branches, one at a time. Continue with that blog of yours, see where it goes. Ella can help out now that shes got wings, perhaps she could search around for some hybrids like us. Angel and the others can keep up with their regular stuff.**

**SilentFeather: so. We basically just wait.**

**MaxRide: yea until the twins grow up a little and start to show abilities…I don't like waiting but it seems to be the only choice we have since were purposeless without erasers to fight all the time and no parents to find anymore with the by-half plan in process as we speak.**

**SilentFeather: wait what was that last thing?**

**MaxRide: abilites?**

**SilentFeather: no**

**MaxRide: parents?**

**SilentFeather: no**

**MaxRide: erasers?**

**SilentFeather: no…**

**MaxRide: by-half plan?  
**

**SilentFeather: yea…I think I know how youre supposed to save the world now**

**MaxRide: do tell, fang**

Fang logged out and went over by my bed. He sat on the end and looked at me straight in the eyes. I stared back…wondering what could possibly be going on in that complex brain of his.

"Stop the By-Half Plan, Max. It's not too late,"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

So, this was it then. My destiny from the beginning. I was finally going to save the world, the way I was supposed to. Suddenly I almost appreciated that message. _Save the world, Max._ For the next few weeks, nothing much happened except for Fang and I taking care of Estella and Ari. To tell the two Aris apart, I secretly called the baby Junior. So, he was Ari Jr. Finally, Fang came by my room with information.

"I know where the white coats are meeting, Max," he announced casually as if he were merely predicting the weather. I nodded and put Estella in her crib. She was fast asleep now, so I had no reason to worry. Ari Jr. was with Mom.

"Should we go as a group?" I asked. "I kind of need someone to watch the children,"

"Dr. Martinez can take care of that. Ella's joining us and we've got Maxinator and Ari for backup just in case,"

"Long sentences. You're getting scary, Fang," He half-smiled and headed for the living room. I followed him.

**Ella POV**

I was so excited that Iggy and I could finally have a moment alone. We were in his bedroom, just hanging out.

"Ig, want to go for a flight?" I asked.

"I was just outside," he said. "You need to be inside, at least for a little while. It's going to rain soon,"

"How do you know?" I demanded. The door opened. Fang walked in.

"Hey, we're headed to Canada, guys," he said. "I know where some white coats are meeting up to start the By-Half Plan, and we need to get there ASAP. A and U with as many supplies as possible. I have no clue when we are coming back. Your mom will need to stay here, Ella," My eyes went wide. I don't think I ever heard Fang talk so much at once before. The situation _must_ be serious, or else Max would have said all of that.

"What up with the monologue, Fnick?" Iggy asked teasingly.

"Not much, Figgy," he replied without missing a beat. "Max is in the bathroom, so I had to take her role for a minute,"

"Well, let's go then!" I said, heading down the hall to pack up my bag.

**Angel POV**

I sat at the table and just said nothing, waiting for Dr. Martinez to notice me. It didn't take very long.

"Oh, hey Angel," she said vaguely, not really looking at me.

"Dr. M, do you know where Celeste is?" I asked. Ella came in with a bag half-filled with various things like clothes and some food. Fang was right behind her and then Max came out too.

"I think that will be good," Max said. "I'll go tell Nudge and Gazzy to start getting ready," Dr. Martinez looked curious, and handed Ari over to me so I could watch him.

"What's going on here?"

"We're going to Canada," Max said, as if people did this sort of thing all the time. "Gotta save the world, Mom,"

"Did your Voice put you up to this?" she inquired.

"No, Fang got some info. It's probably a long shot, but if the plan works you'll still get to survive along with the rest of the world minus a bunch of white coat jerks," I went to go put Ari in his crib since he was sleeping.

**Nudge POV**

I excitedly loaded up the Internet and started my shopping spree on Amazon, the best place _ever_ for good deals on clothes. I found this perfect scarf and it was on sale at Macy's last week when I flew by there on my own. I made sure that the person the bought it didn't know that part of it was torn. So it was guaranteed to show up online if they didn't want it. I quickly typed in the clothing company and found the picture of the scarf. I clicked on the photo and quickly discovered that there was a catch. I had to have a credit card.

"Ugh," I groaned, closing out of the Internet. Max came into my room and told me to get ready. I was out of the room before she could even say the word "now." I could hardly stand to look at my computer anymore. What was the point, when there was no shopping to do?

"Ella," I called out. She was at my side at once. "Do you have a credit card on you? I wanted to do some shopping on Amazon, because I found this really cute scarf at Macy's last week,"

"No, Mom won't let me have one," she muttered, closing up her bag.

**Gazzy's POV**

"Yes!" I crowed when I had reached the last level of _Halo 3_. Of course, Fang came in and turned off my game…jerk! He told me to start getting some clothes together since we were headed for Canada. I was all for a new adventure. Hanging around here all the time was bound to start driving us all crazy. I happily followed the others outside and took off with them. Max, for some reason, didn't bother saying goodbye to Dr. M. Maybe she left her a note.

**Dr. M's POV**

I sadly watched Max, Ella, Gazzy, Iggy, Angel, Fang, and Nudge fly away from my window. I hoped that they would be back soon. Or at least in time for dinner. They did always get very hungry. How did they manage to live on their own for so long? At least they had each other. I didn't think I'd be able to pull of that 'survival' thing of theirs for that long. I heard faint crying from down the hall, and I sighed. Finally, I could be a real mother again. Young Estella looked a little bit like Max, and I wondered if Ari would end up looking anything like Fang. Wow. I'm a grandmother. That makes me feel super old, like past fifty, instead of…the age I am now. No, I'm not telling you how old I am. Let's just say I'm a little older than I look.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Okay, here we go! Last Chapter! Working on completing as many of my stories as I can before starting ANY new projects. Sounds like a plan, right?

**Chapter 20**

**MaxRide: yo we r on our way back from Canada how r the kiddies?**

**Mom: they r great though u know its been around six months…theyre starting to get their wings already**

**MaxRide: really? Wow that's cool ill be home by tonight, kay? Ari, ella, maxinator, and gazzy will be there in an hour.**

**Mom: keep me posted sweetie try not to drop your laptop**

**MaxRide: try not to worry too much**

"Wow, so the world is finally saved," Fang said. "What are you going to do now? You do know Angel got her expiration date, right?" I nodded.

"So, this did nothing for the expiration dates, then. We are still going to die,"

"But not for nothing," Fang tipped his black wings and banked to the left. "Maybe Jeb has that final answer for all of us,"

"Or maybe he has this magical button that would make it all go away like in those movies, you know?" Nudge said. "And then he'd press it and nobody would look at us like we're freaks from the circus or some-" Iggy clamped his hand over her mouth with excellent aim, immediately stopping her endless flow of chatter. I sighed in relief at the silence. Fang smirked. Nudge licked Iggy's hand, causing him to pull away at once.

"Ugh, Nudge!" he groaned, wiping his hand on his jeans. "The things you do to get a chance to talk until our ears bleed!" I glanced down at the land below. We were at least four hours ahead of schedule, due to the fact we hadn't taken a food break yet. Shockingly, nobody had complained of starvation or exhaustion since we left Canada. Nebraska now loomed ahead. I adjusted my course for home. Atlanta, Georgia. The state of peaches. Yum.

After a few more hours of traveling, we finally reached sweet, sweet Georgia. It was starting to get dark, and it didn't look like we could go much longer without another stop. It would be the third one since Nebraska.

"So…tired…" Nudge murmured. Her wings started moving more and more sluggishly. Angel was being unusually quiet. Iggy did most of the talking.

"Almost there," I assured them. "I can see our house from here practically," After taking a quick check below, it was actually true. The others followed me down and collapsed into the grass. Iggy and Nudge promptly went to sleep in the dirt. Fang went inside, but I flew up to the roof and stared up at the stars until I finally got too exhausted to keep my eyes open. Home at last…my true home.

Angel POV

Instead of going home to get some sleep or a fuel up on food, I continued flying on. I had to find Jeb. My time was running out. My expiration date showed this year, and this month, and probably this week as well. His house wasn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump over, but I managed to get there within four hours. Jeb was there to greet me with a bunch of food to eat. I eagerly took my share before doing anything else.

"Angel, you do know there's nothing I can do about the expiration date once it appears, don't you?" Jeb said to me. I gave him one long sad look, my best pleading expression, a skill I had gotten from Nudge. Those Bambi eyes _always _worked. No exception. Jeb didn't react.

"You have to help me," I pleaded, still looking at him in the same way. "There has to be a way…any way at all," He sighed and picked up a random needle.

"This hasn't been tested yet, Angel, but I can give it a try…and then you can give the same injection to everyone else when they get their expiration dates, okay?" I nodded and went on my way, an armful of needles in my backpack.

**Ella POV**

**under girl: im boorooed gazzy!**

**Gassinator: not my prob go find iggsters, hes probably outside still**

**under girl: uuuh hes asleep cant u see that?**

**Gassinator: umm yea kinda**

**under girl: …..**

**Gassinator: well byeee**

_Gassinator is offlline_

I sighed and closed my laptop. It was getting late, and I hadn't seen Mom at all since I returned. My wings ached, and I was exhausted. For some reason, I couldn't fall asleep. I sensed someone's emotions were slightly off. Though my ability was useful, I tried to tune out readings from strangers as much as possible. But this feeling was very strong and impossible to ignore. I sighed and rolled out of bed. I discovered Mom was up with the kids, rocking them both back to sleep the best she could. Gazzy was fooling around on the internet. The door slowly opened, and Angel tiptoed into the house. She jumped slightly at the sight of me.

"Don't tell Max," she whispered. "I was just trying to get help for all of us, for when our expiration dates show up and stuff," She gently set down her backpack and crawled over into corner. In a minute, she was fast asleep. Instantly, that strange feeling was gone. It had been coming from Angel. And the emotion was…mixed…almost as if she were hopeful about something. That was it. Hope. An emotion I rarely got from them. I instantly felt relieved that it wasn't something negative. Hope was always a good thing to have. Iggy and Max came inside, a little groggy from their brief sleep outside. It was almost light out. Fang had gone inside some time ago and fell asleep while eating a sandwich. Mom finally got the twins to go to sleep and went to go put them sown in their cribs. Nudge was nowhere to be seen.

_-Nearly noon-_

Max POV

"Wha…Fang! What up with the sandwich in your hand?" He woke up and was startled to find a sandwich in front of him.

"I fell asleep while eating," Iggy laughed and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. I wandered into my mom's bedroom and found her sacked out on the bed, her arm thrown over her eyes. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was a little messy. I closed the door tightly, and seriously considered putting a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob for good measure. Everyone else was awake, so after breakfast we all went on the chat room because there was nothing else to do. Mom had taught some of us better typing, with the exception of Iggy and the Gasman, because they were rebellious like that.

**WhiteWings: Max, I have something for our expiration dates.**

**MaxRide: Really? Lemme see! I wanna see!**

Well, somewhat better grammar anyway. We were raised in cages after all. Old habits die hard.

**WhiteWings: They are in my backpack.**

**ChatterBox17: OMG WHAT AM I DOING OUTSIDE STILL?**

**SilentFeather: You fell asleep outside. Iggy brought you pancakes if you want them.**

**Iggsters: Whr is th ky with th most important lttr for this typing**

"Iggy, the e key is right there," Ella said, laughing a little.

"Where? I can't _see_ it," he said, emphasizing the word 'see.' She guided his hand in the right direction. Fang and I had our laptops in the dining room, close to our food. Gazzy was in the living room with Ella and Iggy. Ari and Maxinator were no longer here, but went off to find their own place to live in somewhere out overseas. Angel was upstairs somewhere. I could hear her typing away.

"Max, let's take the kids outside," Fang suggested. I nodded and went to collect Ari Jr. He picked up Estella. They were both wide awake and alert.

"Six months, huh? They don't even know we're the parents," I said to Fang. He quietly stared at Estella for a moment, who was observing him very closely, but with a slightly vacant look in her eyes.

"I think they do," Fang murmured. Ari reached for my hair and gave it a hard yank. He clapped in delight and did it several more times. Ari had black wisps of hair beginning to grow, and his small wings matched, but had a purple undertone that could only be seen in the sunlight, just like Fang's. Estella didn't have hair like either of ours, but took after my mom with her dark brown hair that already covered her whole head.

"Pretty baby Estella," I whispered, and her whole face lit up at the sound of her name. I set Ari down, and he immediately began to crawl over to an isolated corner to be alone. Ari was a strange baby. According to Mom over chat the other day, he rarely cried or complained of anything. Like father, like son. Nudge got up from her perch in a nearby tree and jumped down into the grass, laptop and all. She grinned at me.

"I just bought a lifetime supply of makeup for me to practice on everyone!" she announced, bobbing her head eagerly. Her curls bounced around and shone in the early afternoon sunlight. I smiled back at her, though on the inside I felt a twinge of panic. Mom came outside, fully dressed and cleaned up. Fang set Estella down and she immediately crawled over to Ari.

"Hey, Max, I missed you so much," she whispered, hugging me tightly.

"I missed you too, Mom," I said, just as I realized that was true.

"I have some news for you. There is a news crew trying to get a hold of me. They want to know your story, of how you came to be the great Maximum Ride that saved the world," I glanced at Fang. He just shrugged.

"I don't see why not," I said slowly. "There isn't a reason to keep our wings a secret anymore. Besides, a good portion of who would be disturbed is probably dead,"

"What do you mean, Max?" my mom asked.

"I mean that some of the By Half plan already began by the time we got to Canada, but we managed to kill of every last scientist and shut down the main branch of Itex once and for all," Mom stared at me as if I had just gotten my wings chopped off.

"I was never told this," she whispered.

"It's not a big deal, Mom," I insisted. "We saved the world last month and took a well needed vacation in Canada after that. What's the problem?" She shook her head and sighed.

"Nothing, Max, its just the worried mother in me," Instinctively, I glanced over at Ari and Estella.

"Those children will grow up to be very interesting, I bet," Mom observed as Estella took a branch and poked Ari with it. He responded by shoving her into a tree. Their playful fighting reminded of me and Fang not long after we had met each other. He had wanted to go into testing first, but I wanted to show how tough I was, so I slugged him as hard as I could. He stumbled slightly and punched me back with enough force to knock out a human, but only enough force to bruise me. We were only three years old.

"I agree," I murmured, watching the infants crawl around and explore the front yard. Fang came up and put his hands on my shoulders.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," I turned to look into his dark eyes. He gave me one of his special half smirks and kissed me.

"Behave yourselves," Mom said in a teasing tone, going back inside. Fang just shrugged and kissed me again.

"Not in front of the kids…" I mumbled, feeling heat flood my cheeks.

"Let Nudge watch them," Fang whispered. "Meet me in my room," I followed him inside, thinking about the kids and how lucky they were. They would never know the torture we all were forced to grow up in and deal with, or the countless number of times we wanted a real family, but never got one. Now that we had it, I could give them all the things I was deprived of as a child. I'd give them everything they ever wanted.

"You make a good mom, Max," Fang said when I went into his room. "Perhaps an even better mom than leader,"

"What are you saying, Fang?" I asked him.

"I'm saying…" He seemed to be struggling with his words. Finally he just leaned over and kissed me.

"That's what I thought," I muttered after he pulled away. I smiled and sat on the bed with him. Fang lay down, and I did too. For a while, I just listened to his slow breathing. Eventually, I put my head on his chest.

"I think you're beautiful, Max," he whispered. "That's what I was saying," I snuggled closer to him and smiled a little wider. He thought I was beautiful. That was way better than a million homemade cookies.

"Cookies are ready!" Mom yelled. Or not. I leapt up and dashed downstairs to get my share of chocolate chip cookies. Fang was right behind me.

**A/N: El fin…well that was fun!**


End file.
